Technology | education | technology | ai & NOT A.I. | design

What’s at Techex 2011

Intended for the average teacher, rather than just the nerds (like me). Ian Jukes will be the key-note speaker talking about learning as a digital native at TechEx, an exciting conference that I will unhappily not be able to attend. Ideas for the conference are listed below:

The Facebook debate will be a drama contesting and supporting the notions behind this social network
21st Century Learning ideas – 2 minute ideas about lots and lots of different things – with free prizes from sponsors
Big building with neat TedTalk – and discussions
Flip Thinking- Let’s rethink the idea of homework – Are kids doing the hard stuff at home and the easy stuff in school?
iPads and Slates – Sharing of ideas about them – Should 1:1s be switching to these?
Hy Tek Software – for use with physical activities
Blogs – Student blogs and links to the outside world – How are schools using these properly?
One-Note – A Fantastic collaborative tool to be discussed
The Perfect School and how it should look
3D World
Moodle
Intelligently Searching the Search Engines – Searching Twitter, Subscription Databases

John Tratner asked groups at the ISTEC meeting to ask for some of the things that we would like to see. We came up with these ideas:

Inspirational Moodle stuff – courses or styles of courses (innovative ways to use it)
Ways that Classroom teachers are using tech beyond the tech teacher
How Chrome OS fits into education
Google apps and Google Docs – How are they using it
Bookmark synching methods
Giver (for sharing files) – Linux-based
Introducing Lino-It
Online Storage – DropBox – Boxnet
Using Freecorder – For downloading video, sound from computer and converting files

Virtual Learning Environment: Frog

18 Mar

The presentation today at the ISTEC meeting was about FROG Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Andrew Duckworth, from Regents International School in Bangkok mentioned that in comparison to StudyWiz it seemed to be a better environment, due to it being more open-sourced, allowing of more plug-ins.

What is Frog?

An application development platform, with a learning platform built into it – (Scripting functionality)
Customized for each school
No programming involved. All GUI
Primary and Secondary versions
Delivered on a server within the school – helps with performance
Accessible from home
Social networking modules are incorporated into the interface – Feeds
Uses SIMS
Allows SCORM content
Allows for differentiating using groups
Froglite – runs in the background monitors and manages documents used through Frog
Unpacks Zip files
Allows for permissions
Has an e-portfolio
Resources can be turned into widgets – like Netvibes, iGoogle
Markbook
Email System
Planner
Works with pre-existing CMS (Course Management System)
Allows access to proprietary programs through secure gateway (for example, students can use Adobe, Microsoft, Sims, etc. from home)
Computer control within system – switch internet on and off – no screen monitoring though
Staff notice system – implemented along with champions
Live, online collaborative documents – form, page-building, diary systems
Online detention system
Work-spaces (Groups) are available to be created and managed – allowing groups to collaborate
Skins (personalized) are available for users
Mac-style (personal) dashboard
Integration with Google Apps (Free for Education)
Parent portal – graphing tools, attendance, behavior, assessment
Language Character Sets available for database – front end support only in English
Apps work well in Firefox and are being developed for iPhones and iPads
Implementation take about 12-18 months

21,000-27,000 pounds initial cost (Servers included – Dell – 2 Terabyte/Mirrored Drive with backups)
5000-7000 recurring prices
Financing available
700 student limit

Pretty cool all around. However, it is expensive for some schools.

The old adage, “You get what you pay for” seems to ring true with this system!

ICT integration at NIST

08 Mar

I am researching what ICT integration is and what it looks like. While doing so I came across an interesting document from NIST that stated exactly what I was looking for:

What is ICT and what is ICT Integration?

ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology and is used as a term to describe all technologies that manipulate and communicate information. This term is the preferred term in education because ICT covers all digital equipment such as computers, camera’s, PDA’s, calculators, sounds recorders, mp3 players and all other digital equipment imaginable.

In the Elementary School at NIST Information and Communication Technology is part of the classroom experience and students use digital equipment on an almost daily basis. To make meaningful connections between the units of inquiry and ICT experiences, the ICT teachers work in close collaboration with the homeroom teachers. This way we can ensure students make connections between previously acquired concepts and we support them with their inquiries.

What are the underlining principles?

We believe that ICT is a catalyst for learning, promotes creativity, brings members of the community together, enhances understanding and gives people a voice. Below are some essential agreements about ICT in the elementary school:

Well integrated ICT into the classroom allows us to expand, broaden, and enhance all aspects of learning

The ICT department works in collaboration with the year level teams to make meaningful connections between classroom content and ICT activities

We believe that the ICT experience should be inquiry based and that there should be room for exploration and discovery

What does ICT Integration look like in practice?

The Elementary School is equipped with two computer labs and one drop-in lab that can support up to one full sized elementary class. Students in year 4, 5 and 6 have laptop carts available that can be used in the classrooms.

The Elementary ICT team works in collaboration with the different year levels to plan lessons and make meaningful connections to the units of inquiry. The ICT teachers are on a flexible timetable which gives room for flexibility and homeroom teachers can book us to assist in the classroom or for lessons in the computer labs.

Of course, I will be cross-referencing this with other sources when I find and add them here.

The latest gadgets in 2011. What are they?

23 Feb

It’s Feb 23rd, 2011. How many of these things I will mention below will become a thing of the past or will become the “cool new thing that we don’t know how we did without it”?