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Showing posts from April, 2012

Call for Great Digital Storytelling Assignments and Assessments

On Sunday I head up to Burlingame (or if you're gullible and from out of town, "San Francisco") to work with a team of educators to develop a new curriculum at the University of California Curriculum Integration Institute. The UCCI Institutes bring together educators from around the state to collaborate on the creation of model high school courses that anchor traditional academic learning in real-world experience, by integrating career technical education (CTE) with “a-g” subjects. UCCI Insitute courses are designed to be rigorous and relevant, to keep students engaged in learning and to prepare them for college and career success. I will serve on a team creating an advanced digital storytelling course. This looks like a great opportunity to expand the scope of traditional English classes beyond just literary analysis and creative writing through a UC approved venue. I am impressed by the integrated courses developed by previous UCCI teams . What great digital st...

Google Certified English Teachers Hung Out

This afternoon a few fellow Google Certified Teachers who teach English hung out on air with me in a Google Hangout On Air. We thought it might be fun to share some of the things we were doing in the classroom, and it turned out to be a ton of fun. We held a conversation across California, New York, and London with  Jen Roberts , Catlin Tucker , Carol LaRow , and David Read . I am completely energized with new ideas for using Docs in the English classroom. Here is the video of the Hangout. Then tonight Diane Main mentioned our Hangout on the Google Educast . Also see Jen's blogpost about the event here . I have to say, Hangouts are amazing! This is exactly the tool we needed a year ago with the SchoolsAndTech podcast. We'll definitely need to have more of these in the future.

Informal English Teacher Hangout 4/19 3pm

A small group of Google Certified Teachers (the English variety) are going to participate in a Google Hangout On Air on Thursday, April 19 at 3:00 pm Pacific Time. We are going to talk about how we're using Google products in the English classroom. This is going to be a bit of a practice run for the Google Hosted event on May 2 . If any of you are interested in watching us talk about some of the things we're doing in the classroom, just find the live Hangout on my Google+ page at that time. If you can't make it and you still want to view the event, I will post it on YouTube later. More details here.  #engchat

Santa Cruz / Monterey iPad in Education Workshop May 18, 19

On May 18 and 19, I am going to present a Tri-Cue Workshop on the iPad in Education . This hands-on workshop will focus on the use of technology to support teaching and learning. The session will be intended for an audience of teachers, administrators, or anyone else interested in education with intermediate technology skills. The content will focus on the use of the iPad in the classroom, including the use of digital textbooks and an overview of the best educational apps (and web-based resources) for enabling students to create, consume and reflect on their learning. Each participant will receive a 16 GB Wifi iPad ... the New one! Click here to register.

Google Docs for Writing Instructors 5.2.12

On May 2 at 11 am Pacific Time, I am going to host a Google Education On Air Session using Google Hangouts. I can invite nine people to join me for the conversation, and an unlimited number of folks can watch live and / or view the archived session on YouTube. Please share this with anyone you know who might be interested. If you'd like to be a participant rather than just a viewer, leave a comment on my Google+ post about the event. Session description Google Docs  can completely transform the entire process of teaching writing. Eliminate stacks of papers and unmanageable email attachments by having your students submit their writing through a shared collection. This session will explain best practices including naming conventions, controlled sharing, and streamlined rubrics using Google Forms. Grading papers is a pain. Google Docs makes the process much easier. More details here. 

MyMüvi! A Cheap HD Video Camera with a Cheaper Name

Two years ago our school purchased a dozen Flip Ultra cameras, many of which we still use today. We found a program where we could get the $150 camera for half the price. I still love these little cameras for their durability, ease of use, and decent quality. I have no reservations handing one to a student. Since then, Cisco has pulled production of the Flip line. [sad face] Last week, however, I was hiding in the camera shop while my wife was shopping, and I came across a display for MyMüvi! FaceCam HD. The name would be obnoxious even without the exclamation mark, but the price tag was alluring at $30. I confirmed that I could return it if I didn't like it, so I pulled the trigger. Like the Flip Cameras, the MyMovie (I refuse to use that spelling anymore) has an attached a usb port, HDMI out, SD card slot (that is its only memory, sold separately). I tried editing the video on my Mac and my ChromeBook. Neither worked. It shoots in an AVI format that these computer...