RSS in Education

English: Podcast or podcasting icon Français : Icône pour les podcasts ou la baladodiffusion (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

RSS (Real Simple Syndication)
RSS is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Resources (audio or video) placed on the web are given an RSS Feed. This RSS Feed enables users to subscribe using RSS readers (e.g., iTunes, iGoogle). A user only needs to open the RSS reader and it will automatically check and load new episodes from the subscribed podcasts.

It is important to remember that it is the RSS that makes it podcasting. It is a form of automated delivery or subscription.  You can use RSS for audio files or video files. Blogs use RSS for subscription as well. You might even say that Blogs are podcasted using the model we are discussing.

RSS in Plain English


Educational Podcasting
Podcasting is a medium that teachers can use for teaching ideas and students can use for sharing their knowledge. It provides a medium for organizing and sharing resources. Students can create projects that can be posted to the web and available for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and even university students to enjoy.

Watch each of these 3 10-minute videos (not vodcasts) to hear how educators use podcasts.

• Podcasting in Education 1 - What is Podcasting?  How to create a podcast using Garageband 3. (You will not be required to use Garageband to do your assignment, but it is an interesting demonstration that can be generalized to other tools.)
• Podcasting in Education 2 - 7th grade Language Arts middle school teacher from Wisconsin. She uses podcasting for her Integrated Thematic Curriculum.
• Podcasting in Education 3 - Middle School Principal from Georgia sharing how use podcasting to reach out to the community.

Additional Resources:

• Why Some Educational Podcasts are Engaging and Others are Not
• Casting Glossary
• Learning in Hand - Tony Vincent

Related articles

• Podcasting Help

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• How to use Social Feeds 2.0

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• Do you know the difference between plain audio and a podcast?

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What is a Podcast?

What is a Podcast?
It's not about the podcast, it's about podcasting.
A podcast is an audio or video presentation that can be subscribed to by interested listeners/watchers.  It is offered as a newsfeed (RSS) to make it easy for the public to access. Podcasting is the delivery system used to enable users to subscribe to a series of audio or video presentations.

Podcasting in Plain English


Podcasting carries four forms of media:

• Podcast - An audio session that is similar to a radio show.
• Bobby Bucket Podcast
• Enhanced Podcast - A podcast with still visuals.  It looks like a narrated PowerPoint presentation.
• Chicago 2008 - Educational examples. 
• Vodcast - A video session that is podcasted.
• UNICEF Ghana Lauches Vaccines -  UNICEF vodcasts
• Screencast - Using Jing or Camtasia or Screenr to share processes that are occur on the computer screen. This is usually used for tutorials.
• How to use Screenr
• 8 Free Screencasting Tools - blog posting, not a video.

Related articles

• Which Android Podcast Manager is Best for You?

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• Which Podcasts Do You Listen To? [You Told Us]

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• Podcast: 'On Iowa' talks Jarrod Uthoff situation, Big Ten football

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• Five Things to Consider Before Starting a Podcast

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100+ Emerging Instructional Technologies

Web 2.0 (Photo credit: Daniel F. Pigatto

Looking for ideas for Web 2.0 technologies you might use?  There are 1000s of Web 2.0 tools in the world. Here are a few lists that may be useful. Don't be overwhelmed by the number of tools listed. Browse the lists until you find something interesting:

• 77 Web Resources for Teachers to Explore - This is a list of tools sorted by subject area.  You will find it in the embedded document half way down the page.
• 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools Chosen by You - This list is provided by teachers who voted for their favorite tools.  These are listed in no particular order but have good descriptions.
• Bloom's and ICT Tools - Web 2.0 tools that are aligned with Bloom's revised taxonomy. Lots of interesting ideas.

Related articles

• Emerging Technologies Jorney So Far!

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• Five great sites for finding web 2.0 tools

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• Are We Preparing Our Children For The Future?

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• The future, facilitating online, and interactivity: eLearning Watch has it all

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• After the Flip - The Skip and the Leap?

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Writing Rubrics

A rubric is a tool used to evaluate student work. The rubric presents a list of the criteria that are considered important. Each of these criteria are accompanied by descriptions of different levels of success in demonstrating proficiency in each of the areas.

Here is an introductory video that uses chocolate chip cookies to explain the basics of using a rubric for evaluation.



 Rubrics serve multiple roles. While people usually consider rubrics as evaluation tools, their most important task is to inform the learner of what is expected. Each cell tells you what is expected for each criteria.  Learners can use this tool to evaluate their work before submitting it.

Here is a video that is a bit more technical than the cookie video. It appears to have been created by a college student, but it is complete. The only problem with the  presentation is that they place the "unacceptable" column in the left column. 

It is generally accepted that it is easier for learners to place the "exceptional" column in the left column so that it will be directly next to the criteria name.



You can easily create a rubric using a table in Word or Google Docs, but you can also create a rubric using RubiStar (rubistar.4teachers.org)  The advantage to using RubiStar is that there are many samples of rubrics that you can modify to fit your needs.

Do you use rubrics?  What tips do you have building more effective tools?

Z

Related articles

• What Should Rubrics Measure?

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• Blogging Rubric

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• A survey about rubrics

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• Rubric Resources

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• Thinking Outside the Rubric

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Dr. Z Reflects on Reflectors

I started this blog six years ago so that I could share my thoughts about things that I thought should be shared.  Most of this deals with educational technology but I want to share something about another passion of mine - biking.

As you may know, I love biking.  Every year I ride RAGBRAI with Team Flamingo. It's an opportunity where I get together with 12,000 of my closest friends and we ride 500 miles across Iowa during the last full week of July. We call this fun.

This is my 10th year doing this.

The best part is the training rides that we make with our wonderful Team Flamingo members during the 3 months before the ride.

The other day I broke my mirror while putting my bike in the back of my truck. It costs $20 to replace so I went to a nearby auto parts shop and purchased a $3 convex stick-on mirror. What a find!!

I just love this. It shows so much more and you have a much larger field of vision.  It's made of plastic or metal so I don't have to worry about breaking it again. Even if I do, did I mention that it's only $3?

Sure, I know that this is a lame topic for a post but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to "Reflect on Reflectors."  BTW if you look closely in the photo above you can see the photo of my grandson, Tyler, on my phone. =-)

Related articles

• RAGBRAI to celebrate 40th anniversary in Cedar Rapids

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6 Technologies that You May Find in your Classrooms in the Near Future?

www.nmc.org

Meris Stansbury recently wrote an article with eSchool News in which she listed 6 technologies that are on the cusp of entering our classrooms.  This is based upon the latest K-12 Horizon Report that has been produced by the New Media Consortium (NMC), Consortium of School Networking (CoSN) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) for the past 4 years.

You can download the 2012 K-12 Horizon Report here.

The Horizon Report identifies 6 emerging technologies across three adoption horizons:

1 year or less

• Mobile Devices and Apps
• Tablet Computing

2 - 3 years

• Game-based learning
• Personal Learning Environments

4 - 5 years

• Augmented Reality
• Natural User Interfaces

The K-12 Horizon Report actually contains twice this number of predictions so I strongly suggest that you download it from the NMC website and review it for yourself.  None of these predictions are earth-shaking but they are acknowledgements of the research and progress that have occurred in each of these areas.

What do you think?  Is the Horizon Report correct or do you think that there are some shades of darkness that haven't been considered?

Z

Related articles

• Horizon Report 2012 and more (civicalld.com)
• Augmented Reality Comes to the Classroom: a Game-Changer for Children Learning to Read (prweb.com)
• Tools for the classroom of the future (slideshare.net

6 Important Resources for Learning Google Apps

google.com

I was looking for some instructional resources for using Google Apps and one of my students, Randon Ruggles from Minneapolis, sent me a plethora of them. While I feel that writing this blog is important because I can share information with you. the real reason is so that I can put it someplace where I won't lose it.

Introductory overview video for Google Docs:

This video is great for those who have never heard or understand the concept of an online, collaborative document.

Short training videos:

This is an index page of a bucketload of videos. You can access them by the specific app if you look for Learn by App towards the bottom of the navigation column.

Training videos AND documentation:

This page includes documentation AND the training videos.

Google apps certification resources:

Interested in getting REALLY GOOD at Google Apps so you can be certified? Here ia a beautiful set of lengthy modules designed for people who consider themselves  certifiable. It might be helpful for those who have no background in Google Apps to run through a few of these.  They are lengthy, but beneficial if you are targeting an app or only one specific part of an app.  The chapters nicely break them down.

General support documents for Google:

This is a multi-layered collection of documentation for using Google Apps. You can begin by selecting the apps in the left column and then narrow it down the specific activities in the application you want to use.

Online support for Google Apps:

This includes everything (Blogger, Wallet, etc.) from Google.  It's all there, just click on "Show All Products" and you will see icons for every product. The support is supplied through a Help Center,  Forum Community of other users, or options for contacting support personnel at Google. 

Do these fill your needs?  Do you have other suggestions for resources?

If so, include them in the comments below.

It is ALWAYS good to hear from my readers.

Z

Joe's Non-Netbook

We are constantly talking about how our "digital native" students are trying to learn in our 19th century classrooms.  Our Millennials are connected 24/7 except when they come to class are expected to unplug.

Here is a video that I found where Joe is having problems making a book work because it doesn't have the elements of the ebooks he is used to reading.

What do you think?  Is this a problem in your room?

iPaper
I added this to the posting on May 21.  Just thought that this spoof fit well and didn't have to create a new posting.

Related articles

• After Gen X, Millennials, what should next generation be?

Assistive Technologies and Universal Design for Learning

Assistive Technologies are "assistive, adaptive and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities."  They are used inside and outside of the classroom to help people with special needs accomplish tasks. Assistive technologies may be as low tech as eyeglasses, curb cuts, large print, white canes or wheel chairs. They might also involve sophisticated technology which includes speech recognition software, hearing aids, text telephones, alternative keyboards, and Braille displays.

There is a whole community of parents and professionals dedicated to Assistive Technology. Spend some time reading and reviewing their discussions.

Universal Design for Learning is an educational strategy designed to address the needs of ALL learning differences. It is based upon the way that the brain works. It involves providing multiple means of representation, expression and engagement. This means that there are:

• multiple ways to acquire information (e.g., reading, watching, listening, or doing.)
• multiple ways to engage in the learning process (e.g., creating projects, exploring environments, or collaborating with others.)
• multiple ways to demonstrate knowledge (e.g., creating videos, writing papers, and solving problems.)

This 5-minute video provides an easy-to-understand introduction to Universal Design for Learning:



There are many aspects of Assistive Technologies and Universal Design for Learning that educators MUST consider.   As teachers, we are legally and morally obligated to provide our students with learning opportunities that best accommodate their needs.

IDEA (The Individual with Disabilities Education Act) (article)
Parent's introduction to the Individual with Disabilities Education Act.

Differentiated Instruction and the Implications for UDL Implementation (article)
Explains the basis of Differentiated Instruction and how using Universal Design for Learning can personalize the learning experience for students.

Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams (10-minutes)

From voice-activated software to customized laptops, technology can change the way disabled students communicate, learn, and play. Consider how you would use these as a teacher (and as a student.)

iPads in the Special Education Classroom
This is a blog run by a special education educator. This page is a treasure-trove of resources. It explains a variety of benefits of using tablets (yes, I know that it is iPad-based, but think "tablet") as computing tools for students. These are from the teacher's, student's and education's points of view. Explore the many resources in the right column as well.

Glenda Watson Hyatt's Blog
Ms. Hyatt has a thriving blog online. She has written a book and consults with educators on using technology in teaching. She also has athetoid cerebral palsy. This means that she has problems with muscular control. Glenda explores the many assistive tech apps that can be used to assist challenged learners like herself.  Watch her video, The Left-Thumb Blogger, to see how she uses assistive technologies to overcome her challenges. Imagine if you can offer this in your classes to your students.

Aimee Mullins: Running on High-Tech Legs (10-minutes)
In this TED archive video from 1998, paralympic sprinter Aimee Mullins talks about her record-setting career as a runner, and about the amazing carbon-fiber prosthetic legs (then a prototype) that helped her cross the finish line. (This a video of a presentation from TED Talks. We STRONGLY suggest that you visit TED.org to hear some of the greatest minds on the planet present their ideas and visions.)


photos: flickr.com/benson, YouTube.com and ted.com

TPACKing Your Way to a Wild Learning Experience.

Used w/permission from tpack.org - rights free

Learning is about more than content or pedagogy or technology.  It involves the uniting of these forces to create a learning experience where content knowledge is presented through technology using a pedagogy that best fits the subject matter.

As if this wasn't enough to boggle an educator's mind, the context within which it is being taught must also be considered.  It is this context that determines relevancy to the student.

This is called TPaCK. TPaCK stands for

• Technology
• Pedagogy
• Content Knowledge

Understanding the Premise: This approach derives from Lee Shulman's work in the 80s when he introduced the notion of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK).  Shulman (1986) says "pedagogical content knowledge is of special interest because it identifies the distinctive bodies of knowledge for teaching. It represents the blending of content and pedagogy into an understanding of how particular topics, problems, or issues are organized, represented, and adapted to the diverse interests and abilities of learners, and presented for instruction" (p. 8).

Pedagogic Content Knowledge by Dr. B -   A good way to learn about PCK is through Dr. Bilash's website. Review her work and watch her two short videos to see the connection between Pedagogy and Content Knowledge.  This may seem simple, but acknowledging the differences in the way a teacher understands content compared to a content expert is revealing.

Adding Technology to the PaCK: Acknowledging the connection between pedagogy and content knowledge, it is time to consider the medium through which this adapted content is presented/experienced. This medium is technology in the broadest sense of the word.  It doesn't have to "plug in." The best way to experience a Van Gogh painting is in the Musee de Orsay museum in Paris. If you happen to be visiting Paris sometime soon, that might be possible. If your future plans involve staying around the house a little more, then there are other avenues available to you. This is where you can use various forms of technology to fill the bill. You could enjoy Van Gogh's The Church in Auvers-sur-Oise through a Post-Impressionism book,  a Jigsaw Puzzle,  a 360-degree Panorama inside the church,
a tour of the church and town, Wikipedia, even through a unique java-blend.

Whatever technology you select, it is the intersection of Pedagogy, Content Knowledge and Technology within a Context that will carry the message for the learner. It will determine the topic's relevance to the learner and ultimately learners interest in remembering and using the new information.   

The key to the TPaCK method is examining the intersections between the domains. This would include Pedagogy-Content (PC), Technology-Content Knowledge (TC) and Technology-Pedagogy (TP). The most important point is the intersection of all of the domains TPC which we find at the middle of a 3-circle venn diagram.

This Low-Tech video explanation by RoyceKimmons is quite informative. He uses the 3-circle venn diagram to explain the relations of these domains.
 

 Here are a couple of other videos to help reinforce the concept.

• Who Could Be a Good Teacher?
• TPACK Framework 
• Defines this as a Wicked Problem. (Read Jeff Conklin's ideas) 

The best place to find out about TPaCK is at tpack.org   This is an ever-growing website that contains a plethora of possible resources.

Are You Looking for The Source?
Thinking Creatively: Teachers as designers of Content, Technology and Pedagogy by Mishra and Koehler at SITE 08.  This is part 1 of a 3-part sequence of YouTube videos that describe the TPaCK from its creators.

Applying TPaCK to Digital Content
This theory is just great, but what about practical application?  I can't get my head around how to make this happen in my classroom.  I understand that I must teach World War II events using a pedagogy that is relevant to my population of students and that it should be conveyed using technology that is meaningful and engaging with my students.  But is there a formula?

Probably not!

Activity Types
There are, however, Activity Types that have been developed by a group of researchers including Judi Harris, Mark Hofer, Denise Schmidt and Ann Thompson. Activity Types are conceptual planning tools that assist educators in organizing and creating curriculum-based learning activities. Each activity type captures what is most essential about the structure of a particular kind of learning action as it relates to what students do when engaged in that particular learning-related activity (e.g., group discussion; role play; fieldtrip). They have been organized by placing them in taxonomies.


TPACK Taxonomies
Dr. Judi Harris and Mark Hofer wrote a series of articles about using their subject-based taxonomies for TPACKING classroom projects Learning and Leading with Technology.  (It is actually pgs 22 - 34.)

Harris, J., & Hofer, M. (2009). “Grounded” technology integration: Planning with curriculum-based learning activity types. Learning & Leading With Technology, 37(2), 22-25.

You can find a succinct table of the Activity Types arranged by Format of Expression in an article entitled:

Instructional Planning Activity Types as Vehicles for Curriculum-Based TPACK Development (.pdf)
 
More Specifically: The hierarchies used for 7 different subject areas are found on the William and Mary School of Education Activity Types wiki.  

Here are some examples of how it has been done with a few lessons:

Using TPaCK to Teach Grammar in Middle School
 

Visit our WikiBook: TPACKing for a Wonderful Educational Trip 
It contains all of the wonderful work completed by the Tech Coordinating groups.
This is a unique way to publish authentic information with your students.

Happy Traveling through TPACK.

Z

1-to-1 Pedagogy: Curriculum for the 21st Century Classroom - Hot Topics Webinar

What is this 1-to-1 curriculum all about?

Dr. Ping Gao and I will have an opportunity to share our ideas about Curriculum for the 21st Century with you in a Webinar that we will be giving on April 26, 2012 at 4:00 CST.

We will be discussing the need to rethink how education should be framed and explore some tools for making the changes.

Here are some links to the resources we have shared.  If you don't find something important here that you think should be included, just add it in the comment section below.

Watch our hour-long webinar. We have participants from Oklahoma, Arizona and around Iowa.

Watch this Slide Show on SlideShare

1-to-1 Computing: Curriculum for the 21st Century

View more presentations from Leigh Zeitz

Included Videos:

• 21st Century Video - Greg Whitby talks about the curriculum DNA.
• Van Meter Social Media - Interview with students about how they have used Social Media in their learning.

Included Resources:

• Iowa Universal Constructs - The universal constructs identified following an analysis of the competencies and habits of mind needed for future successes in careers, college and citizenry.
• Technology Integration Matrix  - Florida Technology Integration Matrix creates a 25-cell table that integrates 5 types of Meaningful Learning Environments (Jonassen et al) with 5 levels of Technology Integration (Apple Classroom of Tomorrow).  Filled with 100 short videos of best practice examples for Math, Science, Social Science and Language Arts.
• TPACKing for a Wild Learning Trip - This is a link to a resource page that I created for my students when they were studying TPACK. It is filled with a plethora of resources about the Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPaCK) model.
• Book: From Fear to Facebook  by Matt Levinson  Pub: ISTE
  Exceptional book where a school administrator chronicles his many adventures while directing a school into a 1-to-1 paradigm. Must read!!!

What ideas or accomplishments or resources would you like to share about 1:1 curriculum?  Please share them in the comments section below.

Z & G

Laptops After Hours . . .

What do our laptops do when we leave the room to go home?

Here is a short stop-action video that was created by some students at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.  This story, Two Laptops: A Conversation, is about a couple of laptops discussing the implications of being energy conscious. My favorite part was when they left their work room and then moved over to the computer lab where they sat in chairs to work on desktop computers. Really?  Computers are spending their off hours working on other computers?  We geeks REALLY need to get a life.

I hope that you enjoy this as much as I did.  What do you think?  Have your students watch it and then respond.

Z

Blabberize Yourself

Are you looking for a way to bring excitement back into your students' writing? Has writing become a process that no longer is attractive for your students?

Have them write scripts for their Blabberized pictures. Doesn't matter if they are people or animals or Martians. Blabberize.com is a site where you can upload a photo and create settings that will enable the mouth to move.

All that you do is upload the photo/picture.  Identify the area that you would like to have move when you create the animation.  Here's a hint. It works best if you pick the whole lower jaw so that it looks like your character is really talking.

Looking for a quick video on how to Blabberize?  Here is one made by one of my students.

How do you use Blabberize?  Can you direct me to an interesting collection of unique blabberized pictures?  Please answer in the comments below.

Z

Engaging Learning Using Emerging Technologies @ IACON 2012

What a wonderful opportunity to speak to the IACON conference in Altoona, Iowa.

Today, I am going to be talking about how we can engage our students using many of the tools that we have online today.

To begin with, our Twitter Hashtag is #IACON2012

You should be able to find the tweets using this hashtag by clicking here.

We also have collaborative notes.  This is a Google Page that is open to the world to edit. It could be more selective, but we are all good people - right? You can find this page at tinyurl.com/iacon12notes 

Engaging Learning Using Emerging Technologies

View more presentations from Leigh Zeitz.

Readings, Watchings, Listenings and Doings (used by Dr. Z now or recent past)
This are blogs that contain multimedia resources that are to be reviewed and used for the various modules for classes.

Undergraduate: 

• Classroom Computer Apps
  http://classroomcomputerapps.blogspot.com/
• Educational Technology and Design.
  http://uniedtechdesign.blogspot.com/

Graduate:

• Coordinating Technology in an Educational Setting
  http://coordtech.blogspot.com/
• Selection and Integration of Instructional Technology Materials
  http://selectintegrate.blogspot.com/   (Look at some of my students' blogs down the right hand side)
• Emerging Instructional Technologies
  http://emergit.blogspot.com/

Apple - iBooks Author

Diigo.com

• Technology Coordinators class TagRoll

WikiBooks

Emerging Instructional Technologies wikibook

TPACKing for a Wonderful Educational Trip wikibook

Audio Feedback to Students

AudioBoo.FM 

Gaming

3DGameLab - Boise State University 

1:1 is NOT Enough

We have the privilege to join Iowa's leading educators at the 1-to-1 Institute. This is the third year for this event.  It has been a great success. This year I believe that there are over 1,000 attendees.

We have a whole team of UNI folks who are sharing their ideas.
Using QR Codes in the Elementary Classroom - Joshua Mitchell, Nelson Rokke, Robin Galloway and Dr. Ping Gao.

Here's the schedule for the conference. 

I will be sharing my ideas about how improving education will require much more than just buying hardware for students. Here is my presentation along with some links to the resources that I discuss.

1-to-1 is Not Enough

View more presentations from Leigh Zeitz.

• Penuel, W. (2006) Implementation and Effects of One-to-One Computing Initiatives: A Research Synthesis
• Project Red Report - One-to-One Institute
• TPACK website
• TPACK resources 
•  One Laptop Per Child: Disappointing Results?
• Technology Integration Matrix

If you have any additional resources, just add them to the comments down below.

Z

How Do YOU Teach About the AECT Domains/Standards?

Instructional Technology Educators,

Our Instructional Technology masters program at the University of Northern Iowa is aligned with the ECIT/AECT Standards/Domains. Consequently, learning about these domains is an integral part of one of our initial courses in the program.

We are interested in how you introduce these domains and what you do to make them meaningful to your students. Certainly, your students can read the Januszewski and Molenda book, but do you have videos or activities that you use when you teach the domains.

What do you do?  We would appreciate it if you could share your teaching techniques and tools. I promise to organize and share your responses.

Thank you,

Leigh Zeitz

Leave your ideas in the Comments section below.

ITEC iPad and Google App Training Coming Soon!!!

Want to learn tricks about using your iPad?

Looking for tips on engaging your students using Google Apps?

ITEC has found the need and we are filling that need - - - - - - AGAIN!!!

We are presenting workshops throughout Iowa to support educators in integrating these new technologies into their teaching.

Here is the calendar of events:


iPads in the Classroom Training (8:30 - 3:30)
This is a HANDS-ON workshop where you will be introduced to the basics of using iPads in the classroom. Programs will be suggested for you to download before the workshop and we will review using them during our session.

March 24     Cedar Falls @ UNI
March 31     Sioux City
April 14        Cedar Rapids
April 14        Algona
April 21        Decorah
April 28        Nevada

Google Apps in the Classroom Training (8:30 - 3:30)
Another HANDS-ON workshop where you will use and innovate using the Google Apps suite. 



March 31      Nevada


Cost:   ITEC Members   $125         Non Members  $150 (includes Membership)
             Lunch will be provides.

Questions about the workshops?
Contact Andy Crozier (acrozier@gmail.com) or Stacy Behmer (sbehmer@gwaea.org)

Questions regarding payment?
Contact Jeff Sypersma (jsypersma@nwaea.org)

If you have any other questions or comments, leave a comment below.  Have you attended one of the ITEC workshops in the past? What did you think?

Z

ITEC's IT Conference on March 15 & 16 Tailored for Techees

Here it is.  An IT conference specifically designed for Technology and IT Directors.

This is where you can come to learn about Networking, Filtering, Firewalls, Moodle Setup, Google Apps Scripting . . .

This conference is NOT for everyone.  It is for people who have a technical interest in making technology happen in our schools.

When?   March 15 & 16   (Registration Deadline is March 8)
Where?  Ames Middle School in Ames, IA (3915 Mortensen Road)

Here is a list of some of the topics included:

• Google Technical Deployment and Google Dashboard
• Google Apps Scripting
• Filtering and Firewalls
• Networking (both Basic and Advanced)
• Moodle Setup, Management, and Modification
• Virtualization
• Bring Your Own Desktop panel discussion
• Deploying Netbooks
• Deploying Chromebooks
• iOS Management
• Apple Lion Server Management and Imaging
• Wireless solutions
• School Web site products
• Open Source Tools
• How Students Can Provide Technical Support
• Department of Ed session on SIF integration
• How to Select Projectors and other A/V Equipment

Here is the grid for the many sessions. Click on the graphic to make it larger to read.  If you want a .pdf version, you can click here for a link to the actual grid of sessions.

Cost

• ITEC member (1 day)                $65
• ITEC member (2 days)            $125
• Non-ITEC member (1 day)        $90
• Non-ITEC member (2 days)    $150
• Students                                    $10

Sound interesting?  This is the first of its kind in the state of Iowa.  Come be part of history and build technology skills that you can use immediately.

Register today!!!!!!!!

Dr. Z Records the Roman South Theater in Jerash.

Traveling to Jordan was a wonderful experience. You will find my musings and reporting in previous and subsequent postings. Believe it or not, I after 5 days of non-stop conferencing, consulting, broadcasting and schmoozing, I had a day to play tourist. I wanted to go to Petra, but It was a 3-hour drive each way which meant 6 hours in the car on my only day off. Therefore I decided to join my friends, Andrew and ??, in a visit to Jerash. 50 Kilometers north of Amman, it was only an hour drive to the location. It is known for its Greco-Roman ruins. It was conquered by the Romans in 63 BC and absorbed into the Roman province of Arabia in 90 AD. We visited a number of the ruins including the Hadrian's Arch, Hippodrome, South Gate, Zeus Temple and the South Theatre. We enjoyed the Hippodrome and Arch but I was really interested in the South Theatre.

This amphitheater has some of the best acoustics around.  Stand in the center of the stage in a selected square meter and you will find yourself in the "sweet spot."  It is designed that if you even whisper from that location you will be heard from throughout the theatre. This theater will seat up to 3,000 spectators. It is still used for some concerts and events.

Here is a video I made of a couple of performing Jordanian musicians.  It was amazing to see the number of bagpipers I bumped into during that week.



While standing there, Andrew urged me to sing my song about writing ABCD objectives.  here it is. At long last you will be able to see/hear a recording of Dr. Z singing "Are You Going to Write Objectives?"  The best part is that it is being sung in a Roman Amphitheatre
in the middle of Jordan. This must be serious!  BTW, notice how far away Andrew was from Dr. Z when he was signing this. There was no microphone, just the incredible acoustics.


So it's a little flat . . . it's the thought that counts. 

I hope that you enjoy these videos. It's just the beginning of my Jordan report.  Give me some feedback. What do you want to know?

Z

Should Students Be Able to Use Social Media in High School?

I just received an email from a high school student who was asking about my stance on filtering the Web in a school. She was taking a Law class in her school and they were researching what educators in the field said about which sites should be accessible and which should be blocked.  I have included my response below. You will notice that I have left it anonymous but I thought that it contained some interesting points:

Question: What are your thoughts about students using social networking sites on the new one-on-one laptops

Dear Student;

I am honored that you are interested in my opinion on this topic.

As frustrating as this may sound, my answer is "It all depends."

Providing one computer for each student is not about technology.  It is about providing students with individual tools that will allow them to take responsibility for their education. This means that you will have the ability to access the almost unlimited amount of information available on the web.  It also means that you must act responsibly in what you use and how you use it.

I am not a fan of blocking online sites. This reduces your access to the many resources that you may use for your studies.  However, if you have open access to these sites you must use them in a mature and responsible manner.

It is something like teaching a child about crossing the street.  You can't teach her to look both ways before crossing unless you allow her to cross it. We can't teach students about how to be safe and sane on the Web unless we provide them access.

This does not mean that you have free reign of Facebook or Twitter or YouTube. If you are Facebooking your friends in class when you should be using it to search for pertinent information, you should be disciplined for your actions as you would for any misbehavior in class.  These punishments should be identified beforehand so that both the teachers and students know what to do.

I would strongly suggest that you and your teachers read From Fear to Facebook.   It is 120-page book by a principal who was hired in Cupertino to convert their school to a 1-to-1 school. It is a wonderful narrative that explains how student, parents, teachers and administrators shaped the rules of the school. It costs $10 for a Kindle and you can get it immediately. It's twice the price for paperback. http://tinyurl.com/78sj48o    I use it in my technology coordinator class.

I hope that this has been useful. To summarize, I don't believe in filtering content unless necessary. If it turns out that the students can't responsibly use some resources like Facebook, it should be removed. You responsibilities as a student increase as your access to technology and online resources increase. If you do not act responsibly, then appropriate disciplinary actions should be taken.

Good luck and keep me posted of your success.

Leigh Zeitz
Associate Professor.
Coordinator of Instructional Technology division
University of Northern Iowa

#3 - Empowering Students' Learning Through Technology workshop

The third of three workshops in the Technology-Empowered Learning workshop on 23 February, 2012 in Amman, Jordan.  This workshop is being presented to a group of TVET teachers and administrators. It is primarily designed to use the Florida Technology Integration Matrix to identify how technology is being used and how it can be expanded.

There will be some handouts that will not be posted until tonight.

The Empowering Students' Learning through Technology slideshow (in English)

Empower Students Through Technology

View more presentations from Leigh Zeitz

Here is the slideshow in Arabic:

Empowering Students' Learning Through Technology (in Arabic)

View more presentations from Leigh Zeitz

Resources used in the workshop:

• Technology Integration Matrix (Florida DOE) - 5 x 5 matrix used to identify how a learning experience fits into the Technology Integration and Classroom Characteristics criteria.
• Technology Integration Matrix (Florida DOE) - Arabic Translation (by Google Translate)