I subscribe to all the feeds from Promethean Planet because I work so closely with the teachers to make sure they are able to use and integrate their ACTIVboards effectively and easily in their classrooms.  This exciting bit of news- FlipVideo can finally be used with iMovie ‘08- I actually found in an ACTIVeducator blog post on Promethean Planet called Flip Mino Camera- A cool tool for your ACTIVclassroom perhaps? We love these little flip video cameras in Decatur, but have been disappointed that they didn’t import seamlessly into iMovie ‘08.  iMovie ‘06 works OK, but not the newest version.  Well, it looks like Pure Digital- the Flip people- have fixed that with the new Flip Mino.  I’ll definitely have to check this out!

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/blog/?p=640

Dog fills in for Reindeer on Christmas Eve

“a folksonomy evolves over time, as more users add more tags to more content. Tagging is a bit messy, can be very individualized, and is non-heirarchical (i.e. there are no “sub-tags”); For example, a photo of your dog may be tagged as dog, beagle, rover and even cute if that means something to you.”

As a former library media specialist, I can’t help but remember the Sears catalog of subject headings and the AGONIZING cataloging class I had to take to become a media specialist! It reminds me to try to think of all the search terms and synonyms one could use for tagging when searching for the perfect photo(s) on flickr.

I spent much time searching on flickr- you’re right, Jerrie, it’s addictive.  It’s amazing how small the world seems when you search for photos tagged with China and there are thousands, and that’s just in the creative commons section- there are so many more that are copyrighted!  It brings the world to your computer through other people’s photos and thoughts.  Amazing.  My family should be traveling to China next year, so I will spend much time obsessing over other people’s experiences and photos on flickr…

Also, I need a new camera!  I’ve realized how amazing the quality is on most of these photos.  I need to step it up a notch.  Great idea for Christmas!

Photo by  alllovelpy-2 “tea season”

I’ve already found so many useful articles in my google reader- I’m loving it! I’m subscribing to the Promethean Planet blog and found that Dr. Marzano is requesting participants for an action research study on the impact of a Promethean “ACTIVclassroom”. His research question is “What is the effect of the Promethean ACTIVclassroom on student engagement and academic achievement?” We had our monthly media/IT specialists’ meeting yesterday morning and they were really interested to hear about this- we certainly have teachers who would be interested in participating in this! I am also excited because this is a question I’m sure the School Board ponders as they allocate money for technology in City Schools of Decatur.

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/blog/?p=436

I have found myself so wrapped up in reading blogs that I’m not taking the time to reflect! One blog that I just loved reading was Anne Davis’- I remember her when I was going through the Instructional Technology program at Georgia State, and I am just in awe that she is a blogging celebrity! Her post about rationale for blogging in education was so cool- it makes me want to put her 13 reasons for blogging on a poster and hand it out at the next professional learning for teachers. One thing that Anne lists that I never thought of before is the record of student learning- that is exactly what is contained in that archive. Excellent! One other thought- I’m going to a meeting tomorrow morning at Paideia and Shelley Paul will be there. She and I were in the same program at GSU, so I’m excited to see her and tell her I’m enjoying this class!

The number one thing that makes Web 2.0 tools so “fundamentally different” (to take a term from the presidential debates!) is the ability to publish to the world. This definitely changes 21st Century teaching and learning because now students have the planet as their audience- and the possibilities are infinite.

Podcasting is a big deal in Decatur City right now- so easy and engaging to apply to a final product for a class. Last week I had 12 teachers each bring a student from their class and they learned podcasting together. It was great! Then they learned the easy options they had to publish their podcasts- to iTunes or to their iWeb webpage. It was fun for all of us. This was the first time I had teachers bring a student to class and it went so well!

• Which habit(s) may be most challenging for you to employ as part of your ETC Learning2.0 experience?

  • The habit that will be most challenging for me is Habit #2: Accept Responsibility for Your Own Learning, which is pretty pathetic, but the hardest part of this class is carving out the time and committing to finishing the “Things”.
    

• Which habit(s) will be easiest, or is most resonant for you as a lifelong learner?

  • I think habit #6: Using Technology to Your Advantage may be the easiest for me. I love learning new technology applications and somehow, they make sense to me. I am rarely frustrated or confused about an application… I don’t know why… it just comes easily to me. Now…. knitting is another story. No matter how many times I try and my friends try to teach me, I just can’t get the knack of knitting!!!
    

• Which habit do you think will be most important for you as you work through this course, and why?

  • The habit that is the most important for me is Habit #5: Create your own learning toolbox. In my position, I work with all the teachers in Decatur pre-K through 12th grade. That means that I have to be an expert in everything from ACTIVprimary flipcharts to Excel spreadsheets to GarageBand podcasting! This class will definitely help me add tools to my toolbox- something I’m so eager to do. Thanks for the opportunity, Jerrie and the Kennesaw ETC!