VanishingPoint

"Put me in Coach... I'm Ready to Play... Today..."

 Well, yesterday turned out to be very interesting overall.  As some of you may know I am a member of the conference committee for the ICE Conference. As part of those responsibilities, I create and manage the conference wiki (http://icewiki.info), I am also tasked with providing a conference backchannel (occasionally moderated) and oversee the official conference streaming channels.  

So, while I was at Pheasant Run yesterday working through last minute details, popping into and out of workshops, and generally being "available man for hire" it came as quite a surprise when I was asked to fill in for a Spotlight Presenter who was forced to drop out at the last minute due to a slip-fall injury.

I am honored to be able to step into the "Spotlight" (quite literally) and pitch in.  I hope those of you who follow me here will be able to stop in for one of my sessions.  My goals for the sessions are NOT to talk specific tools (although the digital notebook session will force me into it a bit) but to talk about learning, the impact that worldwide changes are forcing into learning, and how we may need to think outside of the box to changed education overall to be able to respond to how our children and students learn. I think that it will be fun! Below are the topics:

Student Attention in the Digital Age
     

While there are ample examples of “evidence” that technology engages and captivate students, quite often we hear that educators feel that it either loses it’s impact over time, or ‘distracts’ students into missing the objective of the lesson.  Which are YOU finding to be true? Ask yourself a few questions: Has our pedagogy changed and adapted to meet the direction the world is forcing upon our children and students? Should it change? If so, what is getting in the way of change? Come ready to challenge these topics.

 

In this discussion, educator and “learning evangelist” Scott Weidig will lead a discussion that explores some of the drastic world changes that are surrounding our students lives and how they are penetrating the way in which they learn. 

Time: Thursday 9:45a - 10:30a / 11:45a - 12:30p 
Location: New Orleans Ballroom

Session Materials :

Using Digital Notebooks for Research, Clarity, and Organization 

We all face a personal challenge any time that we interact with large amounts of information... How do we gather the information, catalog it, organize it, and store it for fast access, recall, and manipulation.  Digital Notebooks can provide students, teachers, and administrators the way to overcome this challenge successfully. 

Session Goals:

* Develop a familiarity with four of the major digital notebook applications: Microsoft OneNote, Google Reader (formerly Notebook), Zoho Notebook, and Evernote. (other services may be discussed as well). 

* Discuss the benefit digital notebooks can provide for enhancing student learning by strengthening research organization.

* Discuss how educators can leverage digital notebooks to enhance their  personal research initiatives, lesson plan development, and their own professional development.

* Discuss the benefits and limitations of web-based digital notebooks.

* Discuss how students, teachers, administrators, and PLC's, can leverage digital notebooks for enhancing collaboration on all levels.

Time: 2:45p - 3:30p

Location: Salon I

Session Materials:

I'll be adding session materials here and on the Conference wiki in the next day!

[Photo Credit: "Surprised Onion Man" by smithco on flickr]

So, speaking of passwords, are you "safe" or "convenient"?

[update: I didn't even think to mention mobile phones and locking or password protecting them... This is one of those "just because it is now doesn't mean it's better... More on protecting your cellphone in a future post...] 

Going along with my recent posts on privacy, I thought that I would put some information out there about the idea of passwords. We ALL have them and many of us feel we have TOO MANY of them... We have passwords for work (maybe 2 or 3), banks, credit cards, websites, bills, and many many more... Frankly, I personally have 74 different web-based sites with logins... that DOES NOT include many of the sites I have not update or know by heart, and it does not include the oh... 15 or 20 different logins I have because of my role at work... 

I am sure you are saying "yeah right... he is just trying to make a point..." I am, but I know what I track because I now use an application called 1Password (MAC) to help manage my personal password nightmare. I also know many of you may believe that using a tools like this is more of a risk or a bigger hassle that it is worth.  I'll address that point in a bit. However, let me ask you this: "What can someone learn about you if you were to lose your mobile phone?"

...and then there is that little thing called "PRIVACY"

I have not written about privacy (or lack there of as social sites would have us believe) that much lately, and I had been thinking about simply updating my previous post(s) on this topic, BUT there have been a rash of articles bouncing around the blogosphere so hey. Here is another one... 

If you are online at all (and you are if you are reading this ;0) you have probably heard the "buzz" about Google Buzz... and if you haven't you probably are not using gmail so you shouldn't be concerned right? Wrong! Because if you have been corresponding in ANY WAY with someone who is a gmail user well, your information may be doing a little more "Buzzing" that is was two weeks ago when Google began it's foray into the social networking space. (and that could be anyone one of 30 million gmail users... BTW)

So, what is the skinny? 

Meet the ICE 2010 Keynote Speakers!

Meet the Keynote Speakers at the ICE Booth! We are pleased to announce that all three of the Keynote speakers at ICE Conference 2010--Robert Marzano, Mario Armstrong, and David Warlick-- have graciously agreed to spend some time at the ICE Booth at the back of the Exhibit Hall to meet our members and sign copies of their books. This is a great opportunity to speak with these distinguished educators and to discuss some of the concepts that they raise during their presentations. Here is the schedule of dates and times that the speakers will appear at the booth: Thursday (February 25) Mario Armstrong: 11:45 am-12:30 pm David Warlick: 1:45 pm-2:30 pm Friday (February 26) Robert Marzano: 12:45-1:30 We will have copies of David Warlick's book, Redefining Literacy 2.0, for sale at the ICE Booth on Thursday. On Friday, we will have copies of two of Robert Marzano's latest books on sale at the booth--Formative Assessment and Standards Based Grading and Designing and Teaching Learning Goals and Objectives. Online registration for the Thursday and Friday general conference days is still open, and you can also register in person at Pheasant Run on Thursday, February 25, and Friday, February 26. See you at the ICE Conference! _________________________________________________ ICE Conference 2010: A Learning Odyssey Dates: February 23-26, 2010, at Pheasant Run Resort and Conference Center in St. Charles, Illinois Read more about conference registration guidelines at http://www.iceberg.org/ice_conference/registration or click this link to take you directly to the online registration form.

Melinda Fiscus and Scott Meech ICE Spotlight Speakers- February 25 and 26

Each year, we invite two ICE members to take on special roles as Spotlight speakers at the ICE Conference. This year, we are very pleased that Melinda Fiscus and Scott Meech will serve in that capacity and share their insights and expertise with conference attendees. Melinda is the Director of the Learning Technology Center at Area 6 North, and in that role, she works with three Regional Offices of Education and fifty school districts in southern Illinois to promote the use of technology. Scott is the district Technology Facilitator at the The Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Illinois. Melinda Fiscus will do three Spotlight sessions on Thursday and two on Friday. Her session topics are "Capturing the Spirit of your Classroom," "Understanding E-Rate," and "Creating the Collection." Scott Meech will do two Spotlight sessions on Thursday and two more on Friday. His sessions are titled "Mobile Learning Devices" and "The Life-long Learning Tool Belt."  These two ICE members are great examples of the underlying spirit and mission of ICE--educators sharing their expertise and passion for the many possibilities that instructional technology resources offer for our students and our communities. Be sure to look for these sessions by Melinda and Scott in your conference program book and join them for one or more of these great sessions!

Visit the ICE Booth and Let ICE Be Your Learning Odyssey Travel Guide

Education is an exciting, if not challenging world to be in today, and ICE is here to help you with your life-long learning odyssey. Let ICE be your "Travel Guide" to opportunities for best practices, resources, and networking--we can be your one stop gateway to the future and still meet your needs today. Stop by the ICE Booth at the back of the Exhibit Hall near the food concessions. We will have a variety of handouts, information about advocacy programs, and some new ICE pens and other items for you to take with you. Please take time to join us at the ICE Booth to meet the volunteer leadership that makes ICE happen for you, learn how you can find support, networking and resources at your local level, and have a little fun along the way!

Contact Information: Illinois Computing Educators

If you have any questions about the status of your membership or about any of the programs and benefits that we provide, please feel free to call the ICE Office or send an e-mail message:   Illinois Computing Educators 777 Army Trail Blvd Addison, Illinois 60188 630-628-1088 info@iceberg.org

What the "techy geeks" still don't get...

So, I find myself leaning in the local laundramat waiting for my "loads" to dry. Why am I hear you ask? Longer story, but needless to say a new washing machine will be arriving on Wednesday. So, I decided to catch up on my newsreader via my iPhone (no wifi here or I would be playing DDO - hey it is free now and I AM still a geek!)


So, I came across this article by Liam Cassidy of The Apple Blog: http://theappleblog.com/2010/02/15/ipad-the-microwave-oven-that-cant-pop-corn/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheAppleBlog+%28TheAppleBlog%29 (also sorry about the really long URL, there is still NOT a mobile blogging app that will do hyperlinks...) This is about the best article I have seen for why the iPad WILL succeed and succeed BIG in the comin months in my opinion. I have read a lot if the "tech geek" bloggers and have read their drivel abou no flash, no webcam, and other deficencies "they" feel will hamper adoption. Well maybe that will be true for the adoption be the "tech geeks" (honestly many of whom will buy one themselves just because it will really be a cool toy!) but for the mom's and dad's and 80%of the population out there who are looking for "just works" technology, the iPad is going to score BIG! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:U.S. 14,Cary,United States

This is what lifelong learning is all about...

I was sent this by a friend of mine in an email titled, "Some inspirational stuff for the weekend..." Really I thing that this is "Inspirational stuff for learning..." 

Take a watch:

Why can't we all be intrigued by "stuff..." Why is learning typically confined to "curriculum"? Why is what is learned the prerogative of teachers, school administration, school boards... Why is it only "learning" when we are in classrooms? 

We need explorers, dreamers, inventors, believers...

iPad News Abounds... Will AT&T Follow This Lead? Hopefully...

 Electronista is reporting that a telco in Austria will [potentially] be subsidizing the new Apple iPad when it is released. Here is a direct link to that article. 3 Austria to subsidize iPad, bundle 3G modems? | Electronista

What I find interesting is this information:

Rather than wait for the April availability of 3G units, 3 will also initially sell the iPad with a Huawei i-Mo router.

Now that is a cool alternative... I have also wondered about the possibility of simply getting a Wifi only iPad and then use say a Mifi or different cellular router for 3G connectivity... this could open up all kinds of possibilities (even for group work). I guess it all depends on the cost. I have been a very long time AT&T Wireless customer (since 1989) and while I have had some frustration at times, overall I have been quite happy with both the cellular and data service I have received. Now am I paying too much? Well, we all think that. Do I want to add another $30 of data services into my account? Honestly, no. I already pay $60 for my 2 iPhones, and to pay $90 is ridiculous... On that same line of thought, I cannot see the sense of having a device that is purely tied to wifi. Hey, I might find myself in a park with my boys, then how do I remain connected with the world...

What would I like to see? The ability to bluetooth my iPad to my iPhone and leverage my data pack that way. (or I would be willing to pat an additional $10/mth to use both my iPhone and iPad with the same data package, but not another $30...

Additionally, I think that we are all amazed at the pricing of the iPad... but seriously Apple a $130 premium for a 3G chip that costs $12-$22 depending on what you read? Do you really need a $100 profit on a single chip? Or is this a subtle way to help AT&T keep iPad owners off their network?

Regardless, I want an iPad, my wife wants an iPad... many many folks I know want an iPad... So I don't where this study is coming from...

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I read this article this morning, and my thoughts began to spin out of control on some of the other possible applications of the iPad. Now if I could only figure out how to patent or trademark my thoughts and profit while others can actually make them a reality.

Thoughts about Computers for Students

Earlier today, I had a friend ask for my opinion about getting some sort of computing device for their son/daughter to take to college. Since this is a question I get asked A LOT, I thought that I would get something down here for a more permanent reference. In sincerity, it really is up to the family on what they would like to purchase.

The overall guidance that I can provide is: what does the student and family wish to accomplish with this laptop/netbook. Is it going to simply be email / word processing / powerpoint etc? or is the intent to be able to accomplish more like video editing, recreational gaming, and specific applications for any accommodations like text enhancers, etc.  Shoot for the platform that will accommodate the most challenging thing (i.e. gaming will tax a computer much more than word processing).

One thing I would strongly advise is to increase to the largest capacity battery as possible. While this will add some weight to the machine, being able to get through and entire day (or as close as possible) is much more effective than say a 17" screen. Personally, if I was looking at something for my child, I would look to something light yet capable. They might try to sway me differently with more power for gaming, or something else, but really... why are you buying the computer? To get them through the rigor of college, not a lan party for Friday night fragfest...

Here are a couple more thoughts I have:

• I would increase the RAM memory to it possible maximum (typically 2GB or 4GB) as this make the system faster.
• I would have it running Windows 7. It is very good, allows for the use of all windows-based software, and runs extremely well on netbooks.
• Depending on cost I would attempt to opt for a Solid State Drive (SSD) and not a hard drive even though the drive size would be a big tradeoff. You can typically find SSD's in a size of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64 GB, and maybe more 128GB or 256GB but the last 2 will be VERY EXPENSIVE and not worth the cost.
  • That said, for the same price or cheaper there will be 120GB and 160GB (or more) machines with hard drives in them as opposed to a solid state drive. While some will look at the tradeoff as disk size, I look at it as weight and power consumption. A traditional hard drive takes a lot of power to spin the disks inside. An SSD has no moving parts to breakdown or use energy when the PC is not actually writing to the disk. Therefore, its battery use is WAY lower. Hence more time without having to plug in. Last thought on drive size - While 8GB or 16GB may be very low, you can always attach a very cheap external hard drive when necessary to provide that additional storage or use an internet based storage (Microsoft's SkyDrive web based storage is FREE and allows for 25GB of storage that can be accessed anywhere there is an internet connection.
• Size. Screen size = weight and lower battery life.
  • Depending on the challenges of the student (if any) a 10" Netbook with a screen resolution of 1024X600 (or more) should be adequate. Students with visual challenges should really opt for at least a 15" screen (more weight and lower battery time, but visual enhancement really requires the additional screen space to be effective.

Many of the folks who ask about this subject, often begin to debate the merits of one manufacturer over another.  Frankly, Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba... really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.  Also, while I would recommend getting your hands on one to test or play with at a store as each will have small quirks different keyboard sizes, different perks like webcams, biometric scanners, popup keyboard lights or an illiminated keyboard, etc., buying via the web is a better choice than buying retail typically. Why I say this is the standard retail markups will apply, AND typically they will point you back to the manufacturer as opposed to providing any type of service once you get it out the door anyway...

For those of you who are data oriented, PC Magazine recently posted a survey on Laptop Reliability. The second thing I would have you consider is the levels of customer service provided by said PC company... Remember you get what you pay for... if you consider a $300 netbook as "disposable" (I do) consider hard that PC manufacturers may feel the same way and provide service accordingly... Here is a link to a NYTimes article on PC manufacturers customer service ratings... It is not hard to see why Apple tops those standings. (For one Apple is NOT racing PC companies to the bottom on cost...)

If you are looking for more information or have suggestions on updates for this post, please comment here to share your thoughts.  Also, I am making a huge assumption with this post... Most likely in error, but one that I am comfortable with as MOST parents buying systems for college kids are really looking at cost vs. benefit... (and shooting for the lowerst cost... hey, most of us are trying to pay for some of the college expenses too...) That said, If you are looking truly at cost v. benefit, and longterm viability do NOT leave Apple out of your considerations. They WILL be the most expensive, but you might just get the most bang for your buck overall... but that is a different post...

Finally, on January 27th, 2010 a new option entered this frey... the iPad.  Prior to that date, everything I posted above, would have been the best way to go about considering a student device... the iPad may be a game changer for outbound college students and for high school students as well. I can;t really comment more until I get my hands on one, but I really think that the PC/Laptop landscape is positioned for huge changes... I'll post more on this in late-March and then again in April when the iPad goes retail.

Tags: apple, netbook, dell, hp, lenovo, toshiba, asus, acer, recommendations, iPad

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