Weak 15: The End of Your Techno-Palooza!

YOU MADE IT. . .Assuming the movies are coming along well and you haven't drowned in the TaskStream, you have finished the requirements of the course. I hope your experience was an enjoyable one.


This week: finish the movies. . .upload all of your artifacts, write your TaskStream narratives. . .and ask for help if you need it! I have pretty much seen most of your narratives for NETS-I and you should be well on your way to finishing the rest of the narratives. When your movie is finished, call me over so I can upload it to my hard drive. . .I need you to export your movie as a full-quality DV for me.

Next Week: We will watch your movies, eat popcorn (if someone brings it ;-), and polish up TaskStream! And, of course, we must do those pesky evaluations.

This week's Question: What has been your favorite assignment this semester? Explain.

Week Fourteen: Would a YouTubeTop be Appropriate for the Prom?

Almost Finished!!
You should be making your movies, writing your TaskStream narratives, and catching up on whatever is giving you the most stress. Don't forget that the movies need to be data driven (i.e. do your research!!).

I expect that all revisions are to be finished ASAP and I should get everything graded very soon.

Your journals are due soon (April 23-tomorrow), so don't forget those!

Let me know if there is anything that you have turned in but have not received a grade.

This week's question: What haven't you learned that you wished you had? If there was one thing I could still teach you, what would it be?

Week 13: Is it We or Time Who Flies When We're Having Fun?

Wow, we are almost finished!! I expect that you are fairly well caught up with all of your work.

This week will work on finishing the iMovie Software Proficiency and then I will introduce the movie project and give you time to collaborate with your peers!! Please bring headphones if you have them ;-)


Journals: I just realized, okay, someone told me last week in class, that the L&L March issue is actually a March/April issue. I was waiting for the April issue and thought it was never going to arrive. . .well, it isn't :-(
I am going to propose some possible journals


Journal 9: It's from the latest issue of The Journal "Are Schools Inhibiting 21st Century Learning?" by Dave Nagel


Journal 10: This is from Edutopia, "Disabled Bodies, Able Minds: Giving Voice, Movement, and Independence to the Physically Challenged," by Diane Curtis

This week's Question: Dog, Cat, other, no pet? Explain. (I pick my dog Francis!!)

Week Nine: Time for a Break?

As we continue our journey into technology and beyond, I hope you are starting to become one with the computer. I know, I know, that isn't true of everyone. . .but a tech teacher can dream, can't he?

This week: I want everyone to concentrate on finishing loose ends. . .Inspiration, writing the narrative for NETS-I. . .those pesky journals, etc. I have also posted the excel/spreadsheet assignment that will be your virtual assignment for next week. . .don't forget, I have to be out of town, so you will be working from the comfort of your own computer next week. . .

Journal 7 & 8: Again, I will give you freedom to find an article of your choosing, but if you having been thinking too much, I recommend two articles from L&L:
Envisioning the Future of Education, by Mark van't Hooft, and Making Field Trips Podtastic!, By Aliece M. Weller, John C. Bickar, and Paul McGuinness. Some of you may have already chosen one of these articles. . .in which case, you may wait until you receive the April issue of L&L!!

This week's question: What is more important to you, the skills you acquire in school or the grades? If this class were pass/fail, would you work just as hard? Explain.

Week Eight: What's Half of Eternity?

I believe we are actually at the half-way point of the course. . .I'm sure it seems longer for many of you. I have been crazy-busy for the last two weeks. I hope to catch up on all of the grading in the next week. I have attended conferences for the last two weekends, which has dramatically cut into my free and work time.

Tonight: We will revisit TaskStream and discuss the narrative and practice writing the narrative for NETS-I. If time permits, I will also introduce you to Web 2.0, the source of Journal 6.


Journal 6: Yes, there are more journals. . . I would like you to pick a technology from the Classroom 2.0 website (I highly recommend joining!), choose a link from the tools list on the right hand column for a technology that interests you, and follow a discussion or two (or three. . .) that relates to your technology. If there are no discussions for your technology, choose another topic.
In the title bar, put journal 6 follwed by the technology you have chosen. (For example: Journal 6: Microblogging). In the journal, I would like you to define the technology and then report out on what you learned from the tool discussion and read and comment on at least three peers who have chosen a different tool. You reporting out should contain the 200-250 word minumum, but you do not need to ask and answer questions. In the assignments section, you will submit your peers names.

This week's question: Okay, so I send you to your destination of choice for Spring Break, but your three-hour tour turns into . . .you being stranded indefinitely. You can only bring one book or author, one movie or film maker, and one CD or group/artist. . .what do you bring?
I'll bring Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Lawrence Kasdan or the Coen Brothers, and Radiohead or R.E.M if I'm feeling nostalgic!

Week Seven: Whee, Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wiki!

Life is a roller coaster (okay, it's not really a roller coaster; it's a cheesy overlay in the new version of Photobooth taken this morning while I spent the morning with a sick Lily, but it was still a wild ride!)

You should be knee-deep into a few assignments: copyright, journals, Inspiration, will it ever end? Tonight we are going to discuss wikis! This tool, and host (wetpaint) is very cool with wide-reaching implications in your life and future classroom! Please don't hesitate to come early to class if you are having any difficulties. . .I am always here early.

Journal 5: This is the extra-credit journal. Please choose something from the newest issue of L&L.
Don't Forget: the extra-credit only counts if it is completed B-4 the deadline!

This week's Question: What is your ultimate vacation? Imagine I could send you any place of your choosing for spring break. Where would you go, and what would you do???

Week Six: Can Six Rubrics make a Rubric's Cube?

Is everyone prepared to make their PowerPoint? Your rubrics should be printed and brought to class (at least two). You will get in grade level triads (as much as possible) and share presentations, which will be graded with your rubrics! Almost teachers. . .

This week: After sharing the PowerPoints, I will introduce the collaborative Copyright assignment, and if time permits, the Inspiration assignment. We will use Google Docs to complete the Copyright assignment. Also, don't forget there is always a journal that can be done. . .speaking of journals. . .

Journal 4: I think you are at the point where you should feel comfortable seeking out your own topic of interest. So, feel free to search L&L, T-H-E Journal, or any other electronic source to find an article relating to technology and education. However, if you have no desire to search. . .Read "Storytelling in the Web 2.0 Era", by Glenn Bull. It's from the current issue of L&L (Feb 2008)
This just in: I also found a cool article from NEA Today on the digital divide. . .check it out as a possible journal topic.

This week's question: What was the best book you read as part of a high school class? Why was it your favorite? If you can't remember, what was is your most recent favorite book. . .

Week Five: Is it Legal to use NETS to phish in a TaskStream?

Phew, I have finally caught up on all my grading. Please check WebCT to ensure you work has either been graded or returned for revision. If you work was returned, there will be comments telling you what needs to be fixed. Also, there were some amazing newsletters turned in. . .check the published tab to see some of your peers' work!

This week: you should be working on finishing your PowerPoint, trying to keep up with your journals, and preparing to be introduced to TaskStream! If possible, it would be a great idea to print out the one-page text of the NETS for teachers (NETS-T) and bring to class. Also, with enough time, we will be discussing how to construct a rubric to grade the PowerPoint assignments!! A know this is a lot to accomplish, but I would rather push you to finish the majority of the work early, so maybe, just maybe, you will have some time to breathe toward the end of the semester ;-0


Journal 3: This is an interesting article about some ideas around blogging in a classroom. It's from T-H-E Journal. The article is titled, "Five Dont's of Classroom Blogging"
by Julie Sturgeon. If you have difficulty with the link, it's from the Feb issue.

This week's Question: How do you feel about gender-specific schools or schooling? You can either include your experience or your opinion. . .

Week 4: If iPhone in a forest, will anyone Answer?

Wow, the artwork displayed last week was exceptional! As someone who can't draw a stick figure, I was impressed (although I did see a few kindred spirits ;-)

This week: You should have your TaskStream account by now. You will need to self-enroll in the multiple-subject program for TaskStream (CODE: ZNJ5MR). Please enroll ASAP, as I will have you all put in my course, which is completed by another professor. Also, we will discuss the use of Google Docs and spreadsheets and the PowerPoint assignment! I hope you are all noticing that you should always have something that you can be working on for this course. If you can maintain this type of flow, you should have no trouble finishing all your assignments. As an old principal of mine used to tell me, "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon."

Journal 2: There is a very interesting article in the current (Feb 2008) issue of L&L surrounding the use of technology for a math class with many ELs. The article, "Speaking Math: Using Chat in the Multicultural Math Classroom", by Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson, can be downloaded with an ISTE account. You should all have had enough time to join ISTE by now :-) From the ISTE site, you will go to L&L and it should be the current issue displayed. If you are signed in, you will be able to download a PDF of the article.


This week's question: Of all of your personal technology tools (computer, cell phone, GPS, Wii, etc.), which one could you not live without, which one would you give up if you had to choose one? Explain.

Week Three: Blog, Blog, Blog

Well, you have made it through the first two weeks almost unscathed! I assume everyone is getting comfortable with webCT and the flow of the class. Your blogs should also be up and running!

This week: I will introduce the newsletter and scanning. We will also review the journal article requirements and journal one.

Journal One: The new L&L is hot off the press! For journal 1, I would like everyone to read: "Social Networking for the K-12 Set", by Jim Klein. Not only is this an interesting article, but it is free for the general public to read (just in case some of you are unable to get the ISTE subscription squared away). Don't forget that Journal 1 goes in the Title, and the article title and author go in the first two lines of your post!

This week's Question: What is your current favorite musician or artist? I say "current favorite" to get those people who say "I don't have a favorite" to respond. . .

Week 2: Got Blog?

Welcome to week two. Hopefully, last week didn't scare too many people off. I know that we have a lot to cover in a short period of time, but I will do my best to ensure that you will understand each assignment and leave this class with some skills that you will actually use in the classroom!

Last week: we discussed the syllabus, got everyone passwords for the computer (well, almost everyone), and you received your first assignment: the Intro Letter. While the intro letter itself isn't that difficult, posting it on a blog might have posed a challenge for some of you. Don't worry, if you are struggling to figure out the blog, come to class early Tuesday and I will help you. Also, if you do not have a picture or know how to post it on the blog, I will help with that too. If you are able to get your blog created, don't forget to email me (through webCT) your blogger address so I can post it on the class blog. You should notice a few peers are already on the class blog.


This week: We will begin by ensuring that everyone is able to post the blog, take a look at a cool Mac application called Photobooth, then we will discuss social bookmarking, and if time permits, we'll discuss the journal requirements. Also, don't forget that you can begin your EdTechProfile assignment any time you are ready. It is something that you will be completing on your own.

What you should have for week two: Your ISTE subscription, TaskStream subscription, Gmail account, and your portable storage device.

This week's question: As I noticed that the first few postings on students blogs surrounded a love of movies, I want everyone to tell me your all-time or current favorite teacher movie. . .What makes it your favorite? To leave a comment, click on the comments section at the bottom of the post, ensure you have logged on to Google/Gmail, and type your response in the box provided. . .

See you Tuesday evening!

Intro Letter Instructions

Write a three-paragraph letter of introduction to me and your classmates that you will post on your class blog.
Content:
1st paragraph: Introduce who you are, where you are from, and where you went to school (K-12) and college.

2nd paragraph: Give an overview of your experience with technology. Are you a Mac or PC person? How much do you depend on technology on a daily basis? New question for technology: which version of Microsoft Office are you using the most (with the Office 07 release for PC and 08 release for Mac, the transition is not an easy one for most people. . .and some of my instructions will need to be modified depending on the version you are able to access!)

3rd paragraph: Read the CSUSM/COE Mission Statement (It’s on the syllabus) and respond to any part of the statement that speaks to you. Was it a factor in your decision to apply at CSUSM?

Include a digital picture of yourself on the blog.

Also, comment on at least two other peers' blogs.

To submit in webCT: include your blog link and the names of the peers whose blogs you commented on.

Grading: Three points for the intro/pic on blog; one point for peer comments.

Sample Intro Letter - Me

My name is Jeffery Heil and I am from, well, I'm not sure. I was born in Las Vegas, NV and lived there until I was two years old. Then I moved to Phoenix, AZ and lived there until first grade. . .then I moved back and forth from Seattle, WA (actually, Marysville, but no one outside of the NW knows the city). I attended quite a few elementary schools in Phoenix and Marysville and then attended two high schools twice. I started high school in Marysville, moved to Phoenix, moved back to Marysville, then moved back to Phoenix to finish high school. I have attended almost every college in San Diego. . .but I received a BA in Philosophy from UCSD, my teaching credential from National University (awesome synchronized swimming team!), and my MA from SDSU in Liberal Arts & Sciences. I also dropped out of a doctoral program at Pepperdine University. . .if you think it's expensive to see a doctor, try earning one at a private university ;-)

My experiences with technology are varied. I had little or no experience until I began college, then I developed a love of computers. I am proficient in many different programs from basic word processing to advanced video editing. I have been teaching educational technology for the last 3+ years and I love to show people how to integrate technology into their teaching! I just recently took a position as a technology resource teacher for the San Diego County Office of Education's Juvenile Court and Community Schools, where I will be assisting teaching in their use of technology to support student learning.

The mission statement of the CSUSM/COE was a factor in my decision to apply to be a distinguished teacher in residence (DTiR). As a San Diego County Office of Education employee, working for the Juvenile Court and Community Schools, I have been very committed to ensure educational equity for all students. The academic achieivement gap isn't something that will go away with positive thoughts, but through hard work and dedication from everyone involved in the education of our students. I see CSUSM as an institution dedicated to producing educators who can affect positive change as we transform public education!