Sunday, May 01, 2005
Last class
Final Blog for Class
Well, class is over and I feel a little disappointed and a little brain fried. This was an awesome experience for me. I have learned so much and am very excited to purchase a set of handhelds for my school and get the teachers and students started on the road to the 21st century.
I really enjoyed meeting with the fifth grade students last Thursday. They were fun to talk with and to ask them what they really liked about handhelds. It was interesting to see their different responses to new applications. Some were a little afraid to try them, some jumped right in, and others gave up after trying just a few times. They reminded me of our class. As we shared what we knew about the handhelds and shared applications it seemed as if we were on the same level. I heard words like cool, awesome, can I have that one?, wow, that’s neat. And those were just from the adults.
We really missed Tony. But we realized that he had to be in Washington, D.C. getting that money. I wonder if he would be willing to start his own grant program with it, hmmmmmmmmm? Maybe I could be his first grant recipient? Wishful thinking, I guess.
I have appreciated Tony’s expertise in this area and his willingness to help whenever I got stuck on something. He was very understanding of all my questions and never made me feel like a total fool. Thanks, Tony, for all your knowledge and help.
Well, class is over and I feel a little disappointed and a little brain fried. This was an awesome experience for me. I have learned so much and am very excited to purchase a set of handhelds for my school and get the teachers and students started on the road to the 21st century.
I really enjoyed meeting with the fifth grade students last Thursday. They were fun to talk with and to ask them what they really liked about handhelds. It was interesting to see their different responses to new applications. Some were a little afraid to try them, some jumped right in, and others gave up after trying just a few times. They reminded me of our class. As we shared what we knew about the handhelds and shared applications it seemed as if we were on the same level. I heard words like cool, awesome, can I have that one?, wow, that’s neat. And those were just from the adults.
We really missed Tony. But we realized that he had to be in Washington, D.C. getting that money. I wonder if he would be willing to start his own grant program with it, hmmmmmmmmm? Maybe I could be his first grant recipient? Wishful thinking, I guess.
I have appreciated Tony’s expertise in this area and his willingness to help whenever I got stuck on something. He was very understanding of all my questions and never made me feel like a total fool. Thanks, Tony, for all your knowledge and help.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
I am humbled
Class 4/21/05
I am truly humbled after this week’s class. All the people in my class gave fabulous presentations of their awesome lesson plans. It makes me realize even more that there are fabulous educators in the Omaha area.
I am also really excited that we have the resource of Tony’s web site to access lesson plans that can be used with the students at my school. Often we have ideas for lessons for our students but do not have the time to research applications we can use in the lessons. All the plans on the web site can be adjusted for any level.
I will miss our Thursday night classes. Even though I am often quite tired on Thursdays, the class was always able to invigorate me and renew my energy. It will be nice to have the people from our class to talk with and get ideas from in the future.
Now my big challenge begins. Finding and writing a grant for a set of handhelds and keyboards for our school. With the help of a fourth grade teacher who wants to be involved, I am hoping we can find the money for them. I also am hoping to be able to acquire a document projecrtor to use with the handhelds. It would be wonderful to have one to use for presentations for the teachers and the students.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and hope that others will take advantage of this opportunity.
I am truly humbled after this week’s class. All the people in my class gave fabulous presentations of their awesome lesson plans. It makes me realize even more that there are fabulous educators in the Omaha area.
I am also really excited that we have the resource of Tony’s web site to access lesson plans that can be used with the students at my school. Often we have ideas for lessons for our students but do not have the time to research applications we can use in the lessons. All the plans on the web site can be adjusted for any level.
I will miss our Thursday night classes. Even though I am often quite tired on Thursdays, the class was always able to invigorate me and renew my energy. It will be nice to have the people from our class to talk with and get ideas from in the future.
Now my big challenge begins. Finding and writing a grant for a set of handhelds and keyboards for our school. With the help of a fourth grade teacher who wants to be involved, I am hoping we can find the money for them. I also am hoping to be able to acquire a document projecrtor to use with the handhelds. It would be wonderful to have one to use for presentations for the teachers and the students.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and hope that others will take advantage of this opportunity.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Time is running out
Class 4/14/05
Okay, I admit, I have procrastinated. I am not like those young whippersnappers in class who already have their lesson plan completed and it isn’t even due until the 21st. It seems that every idea I come up with has already been done. So, I have spent most of today trying to come up with an original thought. I think I may have gotten one, maybe, kinda, sorta.
The time we spent in class working with the books about handhelds in the classroom was great. It is nice to see that there are books out there to use in this area. It really surprised me that most of the books were published since 2003. I thought handhelds had been used in classrooms a long time. I am even more impressed with Tony and his abilities to see the future.
I enjoyed the games Tony beamed to us. The SkyChart would be great to use with the 3rd and 5th graders during their science units on planets, moon, and stars. I think BeepMaker would make me crazy if the kids used it in the classroom but I can see how it would make the students think in new ways. Geney does not appeal to me but I can see how students would really get in to it. It reminds me of Furbees that were so popular a few years ago. However, there is so much more you can do with Geney. Spring time in Nebraska is a great time for Flash Boom. It might help to allay their fears and to keep them occupied during a storm.
It was helpful to get the information on grants. I am not sure how I am going to finance a classroom set for our school, but I am determined to try. Tony’s support of all of us is especially helpful and encouraging. It is also helpful to have others in the same situation of wanting to include handhelds in their schools. It will be good to have a support group to bounce ideas off.
Okay, I admit, I have procrastinated. I am not like those young whippersnappers in class who already have their lesson plan completed and it isn’t even due until the 21st. It seems that every idea I come up with has already been done. So, I have spent most of today trying to come up with an original thought. I think I may have gotten one, maybe, kinda, sorta.
The time we spent in class working with the books about handhelds in the classroom was great. It is nice to see that there are books out there to use in this area. It really surprised me that most of the books were published since 2003. I thought handhelds had been used in classrooms a long time. I am even more impressed with Tony and his abilities to see the future.
I enjoyed the games Tony beamed to us. The SkyChart would be great to use with the 3rd and 5th graders during their science units on planets, moon, and stars. I think BeepMaker would make me crazy if the kids used it in the classroom but I can see how it would make the students think in new ways. Geney does not appeal to me but I can see how students would really get in to it. It reminds me of Furbees that were so popular a few years ago. However, there is so much more you can do with Geney. Spring time in Nebraska is a great time for Flash Boom. It might help to allay their fears and to keep them occupied during a storm.
It was helpful to get the information on grants. I am not sure how I am going to finance a classroom set for our school, but I am determined to try. Tony’s support of all of us is especially helpful and encouraging. It is also helpful to have others in the same situation of wanting to include handhelds in their schools. It will be good to have a support group to bounce ideas off.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Super Possibilities
Class 4/7/05
There is so much software out there for use with handhelds and so much of it is free. I am greatly impressed with the fact that Tony can put a wish list on his web site and people from places like Canada and Denmark will take the time to put together an application for him and others to use.
I used my handheld this week at our weekly staff meeting to take notes. I have decided that it is the best way to take notes at any meeting. I can type so much faster than I can write and it is so easy to download it to my computer and then print it off for my use later. It also helps me to concentrate on the meeting so much easier. I can see so many ways students can use this in my classroom. I am also looking forward to using handibase and sheetstogo with student projects.
Two applications that were presented to us were also fabulous. Bug Band would be great to use with students in music and Illusion 4 would be awesome to get students to use their observation skills. These skills can then be used in areas other than art.
Connecting to websites is something I am really excited about. Students often need information that cannot be found in a book at our library. It will be fabulous for a teacher to access a website such as an online database, find an article that all students need for research, and be able to fling it to each handheld.
I am also excited about the interactive stories that we learned about this week. I can see so many possibilities for use with all ages of students. Kids love stories like these with many different ending possibilities and would love to see how easy it is for them to write and us on the handhelds.
To be very honest, I was not impressed with the web discussions I read on during class. None of them were very helpful or very insightful for someone like me who has just enough information to make me dangerous. I decided that maybe I was being too picky or wanted information on too specific a situation with handhelds.
As I work more with my handheld I realize all the problems that can occur. I appreciated the list of troubleshooting ideas Tony gave us. Now I do not need to call someone every time something does not work. I have the tools I need to find the answers myself.
I was talking with a fellow teacher last week about all that a handheld can do and he looked at me and said, “I can’t believe you have become a first class techie, I never thought it would happen.” I guess he might be right because I can hardly wait to get some “geek bling” like the kind mentioned in class. What an awesome possibility to have a computer that fits on your wrist like a watch.
There is so much software out there for use with handhelds and so much of it is free. I am greatly impressed with the fact that Tony can put a wish list on his web site and people from places like Canada and Denmark will take the time to put together an application for him and others to use.
I used my handheld this week at our weekly staff meeting to take notes. I have decided that it is the best way to take notes at any meeting. I can type so much faster than I can write and it is so easy to download it to my computer and then print it off for my use later. It also helps me to concentrate on the meeting so much easier. I can see so many ways students can use this in my classroom. I am also looking forward to using handibase and sheetstogo with student projects.
Two applications that were presented to us were also fabulous. Bug Band would be great to use with students in music and Illusion 4 would be awesome to get students to use their observation skills. These skills can then be used in areas other than art.
Connecting to websites is something I am really excited about. Students often need information that cannot be found in a book at our library. It will be fabulous for a teacher to access a website such as an online database, find an article that all students need for research, and be able to fling it to each handheld.
I am also excited about the interactive stories that we learned about this week. I can see so many possibilities for use with all ages of students. Kids love stories like these with many different ending possibilities and would love to see how easy it is for them to write and us on the handhelds.
To be very honest, I was not impressed with the web discussions I read on during class. None of them were very helpful or very insightful for someone like me who has just enough information to make me dangerous. I decided that maybe I was being too picky or wanted information on too specific a situation with handhelds.
As I work more with my handheld I realize all the problems that can occur. I appreciated the list of troubleshooting ideas Tony gave us. Now I do not need to call someone every time something does not work. I have the tools I need to find the answers myself.
I was talking with a fellow teacher last week about all that a handheld can do and he looked at me and said, “I can’t believe you have become a first class techie, I never thought it would happen.” I guess he might be right because I can hardly wait to get some “geek bling” like the kind mentioned in class. What an awesome possibility to have a computer that fits on your wrist like a watch.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
March 31 - class
March 31, 2005
All right, I am stoked. We started class looking at some of the applications that we had downloaded last week. There were some awesome programs that can be used for many activities in the classroom. I like the fact that our class is so creative that they can look at a program and come up with activities that were not necessarily intended by the author.
Tony then introduced concept mapping opportunities on our handhelds. I was familiar with Inspiration having used it myself. PicoMap was new to me as was IdeaPad. I love the idea of students being able to work on these programs on their handhelds but I was frustrated because I could not see the entire concept map at one time. I also found that some were difficult to maneuver, making it frustrating. I really liked the ability to change the concept map into an outline. It is very important that students see the relationship between the concept map and the outline.
Making eBooks, awesome. I can see so many opportunities for teachers and students. It was amazing how easy it was to make one. As I sat there watching Tony make a book with information from his website, my mind began to race with the possibilities.
The next day I went back to school and asked a future fourth grade teacher if he was willing to become involved in using handhelds in his classroom next year. His answer was, “In a heartbeat.” When I told him about the possibilities with eBooks, he was amazed. With his help I hope to find the funds for a classroom set for the school.
All right, I am stoked. We started class looking at some of the applications that we had downloaded last week. There were some awesome programs that can be used for many activities in the classroom. I like the fact that our class is so creative that they can look at a program and come up with activities that were not necessarily intended by the author.
Tony then introduced concept mapping opportunities on our handhelds. I was familiar with Inspiration having used it myself. PicoMap was new to me as was IdeaPad. I love the idea of students being able to work on these programs on their handhelds but I was frustrated because I could not see the entire concept map at one time. I also found that some were difficult to maneuver, making it frustrating. I really liked the ability to change the concept map into an outline. It is very important that students see the relationship between the concept map and the outline.
Making eBooks, awesome. I can see so many opportunities for teachers and students. It was amazing how easy it was to make one. As I sat there watching Tony make a book with information from his website, my mind began to race with the possibilities.
The next day I went back to school and asked a future fourth grade teacher if he was willing to become involved in using handhelds in his classroom next year. His answer was, “In a heartbeat.” When I told him about the possibilities with eBooks, he was amazed. With his help I hope to find the funds for a classroom set for the school.
Monday, March 28, 2005
March 24 class was so fun!
March 24
This class was so much fun. Angles is an activity I would love to use with my 4th and 5th grade students. It would be an awesome review for students to help them practice recognizing acute and obtuse angles. It was awesome to be the first people to really try this out. It is amazing to me that someone can write a program like this in one night.
It was fun to look for the Easter eggs (hidden treasures or a feature in a program for people to find). I would so love to study the differences in brains between people who are not computer programmers to those are not. The computer programmer brain must be wired differently.
Quizzler can be used in so many ways. I loved the idea of using it for review for tests. I believe that students would be more apt to review longer if they could use the handhelds. Adding tic-tac-toe to Quizzler makes it fun for the students and adds another aspect to the review. Students not only have to learn the information for the test, but they also have to use different strategies in tic-tac-toe.
My favorite part of the class was downloading free software to use with the handhelds. I discovered so many activities that I can use with my students. Once we managed to get synced to the computers, it was easy to find freeware that elementary students can use. I was thrilled to find Checkbook to use with my students and their million dollar projects. Division, Easy Math, and Multiplication are super ways for students to practice their math. I plan on using Books Log with students to keep track of the books they read next year. It will especially work well with the Golden Sower books. I also look forward to introducing many of the applications to teachers to use for keeping track of grades and for students to keep track of assignments.
The more I learn about the possibilities of use with the handhelds, the more excited I get about introducing them in the elementary schools.
This class was so much fun. Angles is an activity I would love to use with my 4th and 5th grade students. It would be an awesome review for students to help them practice recognizing acute and obtuse angles. It was awesome to be the first people to really try this out. It is amazing to me that someone can write a program like this in one night.
It was fun to look for the Easter eggs (hidden treasures or a feature in a program for people to find). I would so love to study the differences in brains between people who are not computer programmers to those are not. The computer programmer brain must be wired differently.
Quizzler can be used in so many ways. I loved the idea of using it for review for tests. I believe that students would be more apt to review longer if they could use the handhelds. Adding tic-tac-toe to Quizzler makes it fun for the students and adds another aspect to the review. Students not only have to learn the information for the test, but they also have to use different strategies in tic-tac-toe.
My favorite part of the class was downloading free software to use with the handhelds. I discovered so many activities that I can use with my students. Once we managed to get synced to the computers, it was easy to find freeware that elementary students can use. I was thrilled to find Checkbook to use with my students and their million dollar projects. Division, Easy Math, and Multiplication are super ways for students to practice their math. I plan on using Books Log with students to keep track of the books they read next year. It will especially work well with the Golden Sower books. I also look forward to introducing many of the applications to teachers to use for keeping track of grades and for students to keep track of assignments.
The more I learn about the possibilities of use with the handhelds, the more excited I get about introducing them in the elementary schools.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Roving Reporter March 10, 2005
March 10, 2005
Class began with a review of last week’s class. Most of which was unfamiliar to this roving reporter due to the fact she had to leave early last week for a family event. This roving reporter regrets the fact she had to leave early as she realized from listening to the rest of the students how much she missed. You cannot be gone, this reporter has decided.
Listening to OneBigHead Podcast by Jim Moore made us more aware of the necessity of educating people in the use of technology. Many points were made by Jim Moore were discussed by students:
“The mere presence of technology does not bring change...”
“Curriculum has to change first....”
“You have to have everyone on board before it works....”
“It is monetarily more feasible to buy handhelds than laptops for a school....”
Our esteemed professor, Tony, then showed us many podcasting links on his web site: Learninginhand.com, and encouraged us to listen to many of the podcasts. He also explained how to load an MP3 file on to a handheld. The MP3 file must be loaded on a card which is then inserted into the handheld. His suggestion is that teachers can load these files on cards, give students the handhelds complete with headphones and students can listen to lessons or information necessary for their education.
We were then lucky enough to listen to the fifth grade Super Students Space Mission webcast on Willowcast. This included eight fifth graders from Willowdale who put together information and fun facts about the Planets. We thank Alex - host, Maggie - poetry, Jessica - riddle, Nicola - Information on Pluto, Erica - Did you Know?, Ben - Bad joke, Good Joke, Andrew - Vocabulary Theater, Drew - Wonderful Website: www.nasakids.com for their wonderful information and webcast abilities.
Tony also shared a notebook with us that he uses with his students to help them write their segment. Teachers also use these notebooks to help the students with their webcast assignments. One piece of information that Tony gave us is that podcasting is not good unless there is good content from students and that content is aligned with the curriculum.
We were then given a quick explanation of how to use GarageBand with podcasting. Tony pointed out that the music on this podcast was written by Alex during a special computer club after school. Giving students this opportunity to create music and use it on a podcast is excellent. Tony suggested that all music created be kept on hand at the school to be used with other activities where the students need original music that is not copyrighted - excellent idea.
Sketchy sharing was the next item on the agenda. It was pointed out to us that this sketchy program was far more stable than any other versions. However, it was found that there were some frustrations with the program. The sketchies that were shared were awesome. It was obvious that the students in this class enjoyed the assignment, and very obvious to this roving reporter that she really missed a lot last week.
Dinner was next and we thank Rick for the sloppy joes or barbecue sandwiches and chips. The dessert was an excellent ending to the meal and conversation around the table. Rick assures us that is was low calorie and low sugar.
The remainder of class was spent discussing lesson plans that have been developed for past classes. Sample lesson plans can be seen on learninginhand.com: Tony’s web site.
One example of a lesson plan is Exploring Roman Numerals. Tony gave a demonstration on how the lesson should be taught. He also gave passed out the worksheets that were needed for the lesson and beamed to us the Numerous application: needed to complete the lesson. We were also beamed the Roman Numeral eBook that allows students to check answers to the lessons.
Tony then treated us a fifth graders and demonstrated the lesson Getting Silly with the Parts of Speech. The application for this lesson came into being because of a wish list of applications that Tony had listed on his web site: learninginhand.com. Tyson Stephen, from Canada, saw the list and sent a possible application, he had designed, to Tony and his students. The fifth graders played with the application and then sent their suggestions back to Tyson. After a series of trials, the application was completed and offered as free ware on the Internet.
Getting Silly With the Parts of Speech would be a great lesson to use with students who have a basic understanding of the Parts of Speech. Tony warned us that we would all be giggling by the time we were done with the activity. And, yes, we were.
After working with both these lessons, it became even more clear to me how effective handhelds would be in elementary classrooms. They would work so well with those students who normally do not like paper and pencil assignments. What an incentive for students to do their work!!!!
Tony also took the time to go over the rubric that he will use to grade our own original lesson plans that are due April 21. There are many parts to the plan but it is very self explanatory:
Each category will be rated differently.
The lesson plan will take lots of thinking.
There are to be no duplications from previous classes.
It cannot be boring.
The components that need to be included are:
Title
Author
Activity Summary
Content
Grade Level
Required handheld software
Other technology or materials needed - Important
Goals of lesson
Procedures to use
Handouts must be original
When handing in/emailing lesson plans to Tony, do not use any advanced formatting - use the notes on blue handout to follow formatting.
See other handouts for answers to questions.
Quizzler was moved to the next class because of lack of time.
Class ended with Tony beaming an application to us:
Hexplode: an strategy game that you can either play against the handheld or play with two people against each other. The object is to make every space on the screen your own color while obliterating your opponent. Tony pointed out that he prefers to play against himself or against another person. He also said that you can win more often if you play on the harder version.
Class began with a review of last week’s class. Most of which was unfamiliar to this roving reporter due to the fact she had to leave early last week for a family event. This roving reporter regrets the fact she had to leave early as she realized from listening to the rest of the students how much she missed. You cannot be gone, this reporter has decided.
Listening to OneBigHead Podcast by Jim Moore made us more aware of the necessity of educating people in the use of technology. Many points were made by Jim Moore were discussed by students:
“The mere presence of technology does not bring change...”
“Curriculum has to change first....”
“You have to have everyone on board before it works....”
“It is monetarily more feasible to buy handhelds than laptops for a school....”
Our esteemed professor, Tony, then showed us many podcasting links on his web site: Learninginhand.com, and encouraged us to listen to many of the podcasts. He also explained how to load an MP3 file on to a handheld. The MP3 file must be loaded on a card which is then inserted into the handheld. His suggestion is that teachers can load these files on cards, give students the handhelds complete with headphones and students can listen to lessons or information necessary for their education.
We were then lucky enough to listen to the fifth grade Super Students Space Mission webcast on Willowcast. This included eight fifth graders from Willowdale who put together information and fun facts about the Planets. We thank Alex - host, Maggie - poetry, Jessica - riddle, Nicola - Information on Pluto, Erica - Did you Know?, Ben - Bad joke, Good Joke, Andrew - Vocabulary Theater, Drew - Wonderful Website: www.nasakids.com for their wonderful information and webcast abilities.
Tony also shared a notebook with us that he uses with his students to help them write their segment. Teachers also use these notebooks to help the students with their webcast assignments. One piece of information that Tony gave us is that podcasting is not good unless there is good content from students and that content is aligned with the curriculum.
We were then given a quick explanation of how to use GarageBand with podcasting. Tony pointed out that the music on this podcast was written by Alex during a special computer club after school. Giving students this opportunity to create music and use it on a podcast is excellent. Tony suggested that all music created be kept on hand at the school to be used with other activities where the students need original music that is not copyrighted - excellent idea.
Sketchy sharing was the next item on the agenda. It was pointed out to us that this sketchy program was far more stable than any other versions. However, it was found that there were some frustrations with the program. The sketchies that were shared were awesome. It was obvious that the students in this class enjoyed the assignment, and very obvious to this roving reporter that she really missed a lot last week.
Dinner was next and we thank Rick for the sloppy joes or barbecue sandwiches and chips. The dessert was an excellent ending to the meal and conversation around the table. Rick assures us that is was low calorie and low sugar.
The remainder of class was spent discussing lesson plans that have been developed for past classes. Sample lesson plans can be seen on learninginhand.com: Tony’s web site.
One example of a lesson plan is Exploring Roman Numerals. Tony gave a demonstration on how the lesson should be taught. He also gave passed out the worksheets that were needed for the lesson and beamed to us the Numerous application: needed to complete the lesson. We were also beamed the Roman Numeral eBook that allows students to check answers to the lessons.
Tony then treated us a fifth graders and demonstrated the lesson Getting Silly with the Parts of Speech. The application for this lesson came into being because of a wish list of applications that Tony had listed on his web site: learninginhand.com. Tyson Stephen, from Canada, saw the list and sent a possible application, he had designed, to Tony and his students. The fifth graders played with the application and then sent their suggestions back to Tyson. After a series of trials, the application was completed and offered as free ware on the Internet.
Getting Silly With the Parts of Speech would be a great lesson to use with students who have a basic understanding of the Parts of Speech. Tony warned us that we would all be giggling by the time we were done with the activity. And, yes, we were.
After working with both these lessons, it became even more clear to me how effective handhelds would be in elementary classrooms. They would work so well with those students who normally do not like paper and pencil assignments. What an incentive for students to do their work!!!!
Tony also took the time to go over the rubric that he will use to grade our own original lesson plans that are due April 21. There are many parts to the plan but it is very self explanatory:
Each category will be rated differently.
The lesson plan will take lots of thinking.
There are to be no duplications from previous classes.
It cannot be boring.
The components that need to be included are:
Title
Author
Activity Summary
Content
Grade Level
Required handheld software
Other technology or materials needed - Important
Goals of lesson
Procedures to use
Handouts must be original
When handing in/emailing lesson plans to Tony, do not use any advanced formatting - use the notes on blue handout to follow formatting.
See other handouts for answers to questions.
Quizzler was moved to the next class because of lack of time.
Class ended with Tony beaming an application to us:
Hexplode: an strategy game that you can either play against the handheld or play with two people against each other. The object is to make every space on the screen your own color while obliterating your opponent. Tony pointed out that he prefers to play against himself or against another person. He also said that you can win more often if you play on the harder version.
