Dr. Z's Asterism ***

NJAET Grants and Contests

2011-10-05T23:21:00.001-04:00

Do you know that you could win up $2000 to implement a creative educational technology project related to your curriculum? Last year three awards were made, and this year up to four grants will be awarded. The deadline is approaching, So read the Technology Project Grant Guidelines soon and get your application in no later than Sunday, November 6.

The popular six sounds contest will be repeated this year with some

new sound options. The contest will be announced at the Conference on

October 11. Participants will have a longer period of time to develop their podcasts this year since the contest deadline will be March 15th. students make a short, creative audio play that includes 6 sound effects. The contest comes with links to free audio editing software, a rubric connected to the NJCCCS, and a step-by-step tutorial. The project can be used for a variety of grades and subjects, including technology, library media programs, and language arts.

Along with 6 sounds from last year, there will be new sound sets to work with. There will be awards for various ages and in different categories. The contest is open to all classes and students from grades 3-12.

Go to the NJAET Web site to hear the winners from last year.

Call for Speakers

2011-09-29T06:58:00.001-04:00

Anyone who submits for this conference, please let me know!

Call for Speakers
Internet@Schools track at Computers in Libraries 2012
March 21 and 22, 2012
Washington, DC
Deadline: October 14, 2011

from David Hoffman
hoffmand@infotoday.com

The Internet@Schools track at Computers in Libraries 2012 is a two-day
track created especially for library media and technology specialists
and other educators who are using the internet and technology in K-12
schools. Sponsored by Internet@Schools magazine, the track covers
technology, tools, trends, and practical topics, and takes place March
21 and 22, 2012, the first two days of Computers in Libraries at the
Hilton Washington in Washington, DC.

You Are Invited…
If you are running an innovative program through your school library
or media/technology center that is helping your students learn or your
colleagues teach, or if you are willing to share your practical tips,
tools, or techniques about using technology and the internet in
schools, we want you! Please volunteer to speak at the
Internet@Schools track at Computers in Libraries.

All speakers receive a full, complimentary registration to Computers
in Libraries 2012 conference, plus great recognition from their peers.
So think over your latest success stories or technology ventures, go
to https://secure.infotoday.com/forms/default.aspx?form=isespeakers,
and submit your proposal today.

Thanks! We look forward to hearing from you. The deadline for
proposals is October 14, so think quickly and send in your ideas! And
tell your professional colleagues friends, too!

Internet@Schools Track Organizers
David Hoffman
Editor, Internet@Schools magazine
hoffmand@infotoday.com

Susan Geiger
Librarian, Moreau Catholic High School
Hayward, California
sgeiger@moreaucatholic.org

NJASL Job Openings

2011-07-29T08:43:00.001-04:00

Orange Public Schools has openings in 3 schools- all grades K-7. If interested you can check the Orange website www.orange.k12.nj.us or you can contact: Peter S. Crosta
Assistant Director for Special Projects, K-12
Orange Township Public Schools
451 Lincoln Avenue, Rm 215
Orange NJ 07050-2202
TEL: 973-677-4000 x5056
FAX: 973-677-2509
crostape@orange.k12.nj.us

Newark Public Schools has openings on elementary levels and high school. If interested you can check the Newark website www.nps.k12.nj.us or you can contact the Supervisor Mimi Rosenbaum at mrosenbaum@nps.k12.nj.us

Ed Tech Position

2011-06-16T04:09:00.000-04:00

Mark Manning, principal of Frelinghuysen Middle School in Morristown, NJ, is actively seeking an Educational Computer Specialist. This position requires a person to be a hardware trouble shooter and to be able to provide staff development to help teachers increase their capacity to infuse technology into lesson design and implementation. The candidate would need to hold a standard teaching certificate in NJ. Contact Mr. Manning at mark.manning@msdk12.net.

NJAET Grants

2011-06-03T06:51:00.001-04:00

Up to four classroom project grants will be awarded to NJAET members who find creative ways to engage students in learning with the help of techttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhnology. Awards of up to $2000 will be made at each level: PK-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The deadline for the applications is November 1, 2011.

Grant ideas don't have to be fancy. They are looking for ideas that will help students have fun and learn new concepts with technology. Get the Tech Project Grant Guidelines today and get started!

Digital Wish Lesson Plan Contest

2011-03-08T07:09:00.002-05:00

* I KNOW my students have plenty of lesson plans they can submit!

Digital Wish just launched a new lesson plan contest and you are invited to enter. Digital Wish and Flip Video™ are looking for the most innovative classroom lesson plans utilizing Flip video cameras in their Video Innovation Lesson Plan Contest. Four winners will receive classroom sets of 10 Flip UltraHD™ 1 hour video cameras!

You do not need to submit a video with your initial submission, but winners must use their awarded Flip video cameras to submit a final video to accompany their winning lesson plan. Submissions will be judged based on their utilization of Flip video cameras, innovation and originality, and student involvement. The deadline for submissions is March 31st, 2011.

Get the contest information and Submit a Lesson Plan Here:
http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/flip_lesson_plan_contest

Criminal Trial Over Xbox Mod Chips

2010-11-30T12:53:00.002-05:00

Criminal Trial Over Xbox Mod Chips Begins Tuesday in LA. In the first trial of its kind, defendant Matthew Crippen is charged with two counts of violating the anti-circumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. He faces a maximum three years in prison if convicted. Crippen, 28, allegedly had a business modding Xbox 360s for between $60 and $80 apiece.

Wired: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/11/xboxmodding-trial/

Why is this considered criminal? How did Apple get a pass from the DMCA with the iphone? Why isn't this a civil case by Microsoft? How did they target this guy making $60 a box? Do they know 12 year olds are doing this all over the world?

ISTE 2011 Call for Proposals closes in one week

2010-10-08T07:53:00.001-04:00

Submit a proposal by October 13 to present at ISTE 2011! ISTE's annual conference and exposition (ISTE 2011)is presented by the International Society for Technology in Education. It will be held June 26-29 in Philadelphia, PA.

Video Games Lead To Quick Thinking Skills

2010-09-24T06:40:00.001-04:00

Parents who dismiss video games as mindless entertainment with no intrinsic value for their children may not have a leg to stand on anymore thanks to science.

International Business Times
By Gabriel Perna | September 14, 2010

All Fired Up

2010-04-21T07:06:00.002-04:00

“All Fired Up: Building STEAM: Math, Science, and Technology in Everyday Life”
1:00pm - 3:00pm

"All Fired Up: Building STEAM: Math, Science, and Technology in Everyday Life," a panel discussion by experts in science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and mathematics (STEAM), will explore the relevance of these disciplines to the challenges of everyday life.

The program is presented by the NJCU Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs through a $3.3 million Title V grant awarded to NJCU and Union County College (UCC) from the United States Department of Education for "Improving the Pipeline in STEAM (science, technology, agriculture, engineering, and mathematics) Education." "Improving the Pipeline in STEAM Education" is a five-year, unique partnership between the two Hispanic-Serving Institutions that seeks to improve the academic success, retention, and transfer rate of Hispanic and other low-income minority students in education, mathematics, biology, and chemistry.

"All Fired Up: Building STEAM: Math, Science, and Technology in Everyday Life" will feature a keynote address by Gregory Olsen, president of GHO Ventures and the third private citizen to orbit the earth.

Panelists will also include: Kathleen Bergin, program director of the National Science Foundation Math and Science Partnership; Dr. A. James Hicks, program, director of the National Science Foundation Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation; Dr. William Montgomery, NJCU chair and associate professor of geography/geoscience; Kevin O'Neill, D.P.N., NJCU chair and assistant professor of nursing and laboratory coordinator; Owen Ryan `85, a partner with Deloitte Touche, LLP; and Dr. Laura Zieger, NJCU Associate Professor of Educational Technology.

The panelists will discuss discoveries and new applications in these fields which contribute in myriad ways to improving the quality of life. The conversation will explore academic approaches and teaching techniques to help students build their STEAM skills–skills and knowledge that extend well beyond the lab and classroom and are as often applied in the kitchen, on a hike, or in practical problem-solving.

The program is part of NJCU's 80th Anniversary "Birthday Bash and Reunion Week," a special campus series of events that includes lectures, concerts, a silent auction, athletic competitions, exhibits, and a dinner. F or further information call Ruddys Andrade, NJCU assistant vice president for academic affairs/grants and sponsored programs, at (201)200-3364.

Meet the NY Giants Tomorrow Night

2010-04-19T20:09:00.002-04:00

Meet the NY Giants Players and Coaches including but not limited to Rich Seubert, Zak DeOssie, Corey Webster, Kevin Boss, David Diehl, Sinorice Moss, Shaun O’Hara, Justin Tuck, Michael Johnson, Bruce Johnson Hakeem Nicks, Bryan Kehl, Clint Sintim, Chris Snee, Kenny Phillips, Steve Smith, Jeff Feagles, Lawrence Tynes, Peter Giunta and others.

Sports memorabilia will be auctioned off from sports teams including Manning, Tuck, Umenyiora and Jacobs autographed jerseys.

Tuesday, APRIL 20, 2010

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

The Brownstone

351 W. Broadway, Paterson, NJ

$70 per ticket includes premium open bar & appetizers.

For Tickets contact: Holy Spirit School (973).835.5680

Finally...a site we really needed

2010-02-19T06:45:00.002-05:00

ShadyURL

"Don't just shorten your URL, make it suspicious and frightening."

Do you dare click on this one?

http://5z8.info/open_exe_begin_transfer_o8p5_this-page-will-steal-all-of-your-personal-data

Thanks to Matt F. for this gem!

Thinking Globally: New Jersey & Beyond

2010-01-30T08:44:00.001-05:00

CALL for PROPOSALS

Tenth Annual NJ Global Educators Conference
Thinking Globally: New Jersey & Beyond

The New Jersey Global Educators Spring 2010 Conference

Friday, April 16, 2010

Kean University, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ
Topics Include:
NJ P-12 Initiatives in Global Education
Uses of Technology in Global Education
Sustainability - Economic or Ecological - Is there a Difference?
Pros and Cons of Studying in NJ versus Studying Out of State or
Overseas: To Travel or Not to Travel
Opportunities and Barriers to Global Education
21st Century Skills in Global Awareness
Global Citizenship: What does it Mean?
Pros and Cons of Globalizing Curriculum Initiatives
Current Assessment Strategies - A Help or a Hindrance for Global
Education Initiatives
Proposal from other related areas are welcome
Other related topics are welcome

PLEASE COMPLETE THE PROPOSAL SUBMISSION FORM BELOW
Deadline EXTENDED: February 26, 2010

If you have trouble viewing or submitting this form, you can fill it out
online:
http://tinyurl.com/NJGEregistration

Thinking Globally: New Jersey & Beyond
APRIL 16, 2010 @ KEAN UNIVERSITY - Tenth Annual New Jersey Global Educators
Conference

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DUE BY DECEMBER 1, 2009. (Note: If your presentation is
accepted, you will be given an opportunity to modify this information.)

* Required
Top of Form

Name * Please give us your name as you'd like it used for the conference,
e.g., on your name badge.

Institution/Organization *

Professional Title *

Email address *

Mailing Address * May be home or institution

Cell phone # *

Other telephone # *

Additional Presenters Please list additional presenters, titles, and
institutions/organizations here, as they wish to have their names used
during the conference. Note, atlhough multiple presenters are fine, we'll
only need one contact person.

Audience * Which area(s) represent the target audience(s) of your
presentation? (Note: you may select more than one.)
* Student Life (P-12)
* Faculty (P-12)
* Administraton (P-12
* Student Life (Hi-Ed)
* Faculty (Hi-Ed)
* Administraton (Hi-Ed)
* Teacher Preparation
* Other:

Presentation format * Please one of below. (Note conference organizers may
suggest other format.)
* Paper (20 mins., plus 5 mins. Q&A)
* Demonstration (20 mins., plus 5 mins. Q&A)
* Panel (3-5 presenters; 40 mins., plus 15 mins. Q&A)
* Interactive hands-on without computer lab (55 mins.)
* Interactive hands-on with computer lab (55 mins.)
* Other:

Title * Give us the title of your proposed presentation.

Topics * Please indicate the topic category that best describes your
proposal.
* A Sustained View of Global Education: Linking Higher Education and
P - 12
* Integration of Technology in Global Education
* Sustainability - Economic or Ecological - Is there a Difference?
* To Travel or Not to Travel: Pros and Cons of Studying in New Jersey
versus Studying Out of State or Overseas
* Opportunities for and Barriers to Global Education
* 21st Century Skills for Global Awareness
* Global Citizenship: What does it Mean?
* Current Assessment Strategies - A Help or a Hindrance for Global
Education Initiatives
* Proposals from other related areas are welcome
* Other:

Abstract * Please give us the absract of your presentation as you'd like it
listed in the program. 50-75 words.

Proposed Presentation * Please enter here without any formatting (line
breaks are okay). You may cut and paste from another document. 300-500
words.

Special thanks to Sheila Kirven for this information.

The Ugliest / Worst Web Sites of 2009

2010-01-18T06:38:00.003-05:00

Excerpted from Vincent Flanders' Web Pages That Suck Introduction:

It's so hard to categorize crap, except that it smells. What makes a web site #28 on my list instead of #15? For the most part, arbitrary decision making. Basically, I went through my "Worst Sites of 19/20XX" and picked what I thought was worst. Then I went through my speech material and looked at the worst of the worst. Finally, I arbitrarily grouped them. Trust me. There's something bad here for everybody.

It's a good idea to keep these in mind:

Biggest Mistakes in Web Design 1995-2015

APA Revision

2009-10-29T09:48:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Sheila Kirven, Education Services Librarian of the Congressman Frank J. Guarini Library at New Jersey City University for the following post:

This news from the Chronicle of Higher Education has been on many lists today.

Hell hath no fury like a style-guide user scorned. When the American Psychological Association published the sixth edition of its Publication Manual, in July, it didn't take long for APA style mavens to pick up on errors and inconsistencies—and to start complaining on e-mail lists and blogs.

The objections became so loud that the organization has now agreed to replace the offending copies with a corrected second printing...

The cumulative outrage finally carried the day. The association has just announced that it will "recycle" remaining softcover copies of the sixth edition. Anyone who gets in touch with the association between November 2 and December 15 and asks for a replacement will receive a free copy of the emended second printing, according to Rhea Faberman, director of communications. (She recommends that people contact the APA's service center to submit those requests.)

Here is the information for the APA Service Center as posted by Suzy Westenkirchner:
Mailing address: American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242 Telephone: (800) 374-2721 or (202) 336-5500M Rhea Faberman’s phone number is 202-336-5709
Contact the Service Center, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Anyone who gets in touch with the association between November 2 and December 15 and asks for a replacement will receive a free copy of the amended second printing, according to Rhea Faberman, director of communications. (She recommends that people contact the APA's service center to submit those requests).

Six Sounds in Search of an Author Contest @ ISTE

2009-10-10T08:07:00.004-04:00

My colleague, Christopher Shamburg, an Associate Professor in the graduate program in Educational Technology at New Jersey City University put a contest together for the upcoming ISTE conference. Give it a try!

Six Sounds in Search of an Author Contest

Submissions are accepted from October 12–23, 2009.

Audio Introduction
( transcript )

For this contest you are going to create a one-minute story with the following sound effects.

Phone Ring	Crickets Chirping	Heart Beating
Striking a Match	Engine Vroom	Water Splash

Click here to download all files (zipped)

If you are new to audio editing, here is a step-by-step tutorial designed for this contest that uses the free, multitrack audio editing software Audacity.

Rules:

• You must use all of the sounds.
• You may use a sound more than once.
• You cannot use any other sound effects.
• You can manipulate the six sounds—i.e. trim them, add effects such as changing the pitch or speed.
• Your story must be a minute or less.
• It can be true life, drama, comedy, detective, romance, adventure, action, fantasy, horror, scifi...any genre you want.
• No profanity or use of personal information
• It can have characters and a narrator, just characters, or just a narrator.
• File must be submitted as a mp3.

Further information can be found on the contest website.

Good luck with your stories!

Six Sounds in Search of an Author Prizes

After all submissions are reviewed, ISTE will announce prizes for the following categories:

1. Most unusual setting
2. Best use of the "splash" sound effect
3. Best character voice
4. Best use of a 3 second dramatic pause
5. Participants' Choice – You vote!

Teacher Prizes

On October 26, 2009, a winner will be selected for each of five prize categories. The winner will receive an ISTE book of their choice. The prize value is up to $44.95.

Student Prizes

On October 26, 2009, a winner will be selected for each of five prize categories. The winners will each receive a $10 iTunes gift card. The prize value is $10.00.

Virtual Author Visits in Your Library or Classroom

2009-09-26T14:24:00.004-04:00

Wouldn't it be great to invite authors into your classroom or library to video chat with students before, during, and/or after reading their books? Skype an Author Network is a growing list of authors who want to make that connection via Skype. The mission of the Skype an Author Network is to provide K-12 teachers and librarians with a way to connect authors, books, and young readers through virtual visits.

Their author pages contain all of the information you will need to set-up an author visit:

Author's Website
Presentations
Audiences
Available Times
No Cost Meet the Author Visit: minimum of 10-15 minutes
In-Depth Visit Length: determined by each other
In-Depth Visit Cost: determined by each author
Prerequisites
Contact Information
Affiliations

I have not had personal experience with this network but it seems like a great idea! If anyone has used them, please post your feedback, positive or negative.

School librarians are in short supply

2009-09-11T10:30:00.002-04:00

Out of circulation: School librarians are in short supply

By: Pamela Martineau Published: September 8, 2009,
California Schools Magazine

"Forget the stereotype of a school librarian who sits behind the circulation desk checking out books with an ink stamp. In the new millennium, school librarians are more likely to be found sitting behind a computer as they update the library Web page or create a wiki on genetically modified organisms. Or they might be seen holed up in the library computer lab as they lead students through tutorials on annotated bibliographies or Google docs."

Link to full article.

One-day Education Week Leadership Forum

2009-08-20T09:39:00.002-04:00

September 25, 2009: Jersey City, New Jersey

SMART ED-TECH STRATEGIES FOR TOUGH TIMES

Excerpted from their website:

Here are 10 top reasons why you should attend this important one-day event:

Learn from panelists on the front lines of school district ed tech. Each session offers interactive Q&A so you can ask tough questions and get the answers you need.
Upgrade your teacher and administrator technical skills with practical tactics for how to ID, evaluate, and measure the effectiveness of online PD.
Return to your district with innovative strategies for aligning IT with academic achievement goals and best practices for maximizing student-learning management systems.
Discover how to stretch your budget with little-known ways to get more stimulus dollars, by maximizing your e-rate benefits, and by accessing under-the-radar tech grants.
Find out about the latest innovations in online learning, specific tools for narrowing academic gaps and reducing costs, and new ways to harness online ed to raise graduation rates.
Learn from your peers at our working lunch where you can join your choice of table discussions on a wide range of pragmatic ed-tech topics.
Hear directly from K-12 students about technology at school and what works best for them (and doesn’t).
Stay on top of emerging technologies that can help improve student learning, including ways to enhance learning through simulations and games, methods being used to predict and assess the impact of new technologies, and the true impact of 1-to-1 computing.
Meet and network with an elite, experienced group of administrators who can offer insights and advice on your challenges. We limit attendance to no more than 200 educators, creating an environment conducive to networking and problem-solving.
Walk away with a free copy of our soon-to-be-released special Spotlight on technology tactics to improve student learning and manage schools more effectively.

My thoughts: great speakers, interesting topics, one day, close to home = Go!

Dr. Z

Rent a Textbook, Plant a Tree

2009-08-03T10:58:00.005-04:00

I usually try not to mandate an expensive textbook for my courses as I usually can find online resources that fulfill the information need. However, I have been using the Grabe book, Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning with a high degree of success. The downside is that the book costs $110 new! Students who purchase the book online for a discount usually have difficulty getting it shipped within a few weeks in time for class or end up with an older edition.

Now there is a new type of service called: Cheg g

Chegg allows you to rent textbooks at a substantial discount. The above referenced Grabe book is $40 to rent for the semester plus shipping, with a shipping date guaranteed.

Also, you get to contribute to saving the environment as Chegg plants a tree for every book it rents.

Here is their story excerpted from their website:

Chegg is the vision of two young entrepreneurs from the Midwest, Osman and Aayush. They started this company because these guys passionately believed that there was a smarter, more economical model than buying expensive college textbooks. It's called renting. After all, we rent tuxedos, we rent DVDs, we rent tons of stuff that's not efficient to own, or that we need to use only once.

So in 2007 they opened shop online with a bold dream of fixing an industry that Wikipedia calls a "broken model" where prices are "out-of-control." Most people told Osman and Aayush that they could never challenge the conventional way textbooks were sold -- that shelling out over $1,000 a year on college textbooks was just a fact of life. Well, they didn't buy it.

It wasn't easy in the beginning; at one point they were buying so many textbooks on so many credit cards that American Express shut them down. But college students loved what they were doing and kept them open.

In fact, students kept coming back and telling their friends. So Chegg grew through word of mouth, without marketing because it was simple and right. Maybe it's obvious, but by renting and re-circulating books, hundreds of thousands of trees are saved every year. And what's more, Chegg plants a new tree for every book it rents. So far, over 750 acres of forest exist thanks to all the students who have chosen to rent from Chegg.

NJCU's School Library Program is ALA Accredited!

2009-07-15T16:52:00.002-04:00

I am proud to announce that the School Library Media Specialist program in the department of Educational Technology at NJCU is now accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) and the American Association for School Libraries (AASL)!

We submitted the program report in February and have been waiting for the response for 5 months! We do have to submit more documentation (that is usually the case) but we were granted the approval immediately!

Congratulations to all students who are now in a nationally recognized program (we always knew we were good! lol)

GeoCities is Closing

2009-07-15T16:48:00.001-04:00

For those of you who have websites and/or portfolios in geocities, you need to download your content! Here is the official email I received:

Important notice: GeoCities is closing.

Dear Yahoo! GeoCities customer,

We're writing to let you know that Yahoo! GeoCities, our free web site building service and community, is closing on October 26, 2009.

On October 26, 2009, your GeoCities site will no longer appear on the Web, and you will no longer be able to access your GeoCities account and files.

What You Need to Do
If you'd like to move your web site, or save the images and other files you've posted online, you need to act now by choosing one of the following options:

Move your site to Yahoo! Web Hosting.
We know your files are important to you, and we want to make moving to Web Hosting as easy and affordable as we can. For a limited time, you can move your files automatically, take advantage of terrific features like a personalized domain name and email, even redirect your GeoCities web address to your new site all for only $4.99 a month for a full year.

For more information and complete terms, please see our special offer now.

Download your files to your own computer.
With your pages and images saved offline, you can re-create your site with any hosting provider.

To quickly download your published files, visit your GeoCities web site, right-click on each page, and choose Save Page As... from the menu that appears. Choose a location on your computer to save your files, then click OK or Save. Learn more about downloading your files.

Don't Wait
Please be aware that after October 26, your GeoCities files will be deleted from our servers, and will not be recoverable. If you'd like to save your files, you must download them now or move to Yahoo! Web Hosting. If you need assistance, please visit the help center.

We want to thank you for being a GeoCities customer, and hope you continue to enjoy our other Yahoo! services.

Best regards,

The Yahoo! GeoCities team

Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies

2009-07-01T17:42:00.003-04:00

A systematic search of the research literature from 1996 through July 2008 identified more than a thousand empirical studies of online learning. Analysts screened these studies to find those that (a) contrasted an online to a face-to-face condition, (b) measured student learning outcomes, (c) used a rigorous research design, and (d) provided adequate information to calculate an effect size. As a result of this screening, 51 independent effects were identified that could be subjected to meta-analysis. The meta-analysis found that, on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.

Full report available as a public PDF.

Call for Proposals

2009-02-20T09:36:00.002-05:00

Why not consider submitting a topic for presentation?

New Jersey Association of School Librarians

Annual Fall Conference

November 13 and 14, 2009

Learning for Life: Students as Global Citizens

Hilton East Brunswick
3 Tower Center Boulevard
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
(732) 828-2000

Link to NJASL Conference Website

3 Challenges to Wiki Use in Instruction

2009-02-17T16:57:00.003-05:00

New article in Campus Technology (click to get your free subscription):

3 Challenges to Wiki Use in Instruction (click to get full article)

By Ruth Reynard
02/11/09

Challenges (with benefits)

1. Creating Meaningful Assignments: Motivation

The Assignments Is Moving and Not Closed (Dynamic, Not Static)
The Assignment Requires Participation
The Assignment Uses the Participation To Move Forward

2. Grade Value for Constructed Input: Affirmation

Working with and Building on Existing Information
Inputting new information
Synthesis of Ideas and Relevant Use

3. Collective Knowledge Use: Learning

Non-Complex Problems
Preset Solutions
Inadequate Time Allowed for Process

Doodle 4 Google

2009-02-03T16:03:00.002-05:00

'Doodle 4 Google' is a competition open to K-12 students of U.S. schools to create their own Google doodle inspired by the theme, "What I Wish for the World".

The Doodle 4 Google competition is open to all students in U.S. schools from kindergarten to grade 12 (including private schools and all homeschoolers). Only teachers can submit doodles on behalf of their students. We'll be judging doodles in the following brackets:

Kindergarten - Grade 3
Grade 4 - Grade 6
Grade 7 - Grade 9
Grade 10 - Grade 12

What Does My Teacher Need To Submit?

A doodle
A title for the doodle
A supporting statement explaining how the doodle relates to the "What I Wish for the World" theme
Completed entry and consent form

Teachers should go to http://doodle4google.appspot.com/register to register their school by March 17, 2009. Parents and children interested in participating should pass this link on to their teachers. Teachers must sign up on behalf of their students and submit their doodles and entry forms by March 31, 2009 after they register their school.

World Math Day on Teachertube

2009-02-03T06:54:00.005-05:00

Enter the World Math Day

Video Challenge!

(Excerpted from the teachertube newsletter)

Voyager announced the World Math Day Video Challenge. The contest is open to all classrooms in the United States, grades 3-8.

How the Contest Works

1. Record a two-to three-minute video of your students preparing for World Math Day. Be creative. Tell your story with a song, cheer, rap, or narrative.

2. Register for free at www.teachertube.com (only registeredteachers can upload videos).

3. Upload your video to www.teachertube.com/worldmathday where it will be voted on by fellow teachers, students,and parents.
Learn more

US House Proposes $1B for Ed Tech

2009-01-17T09:48:00.004-05:00

The US House of Representatives on January 15 responded to President-elect Obama's call for investment in modernizing classrooms by announcing that it would provide $1 billion in additional funding for K-12 educational technology in its economic recovery package. This new money would flow through the existing EETT program.

"We're very encouraged by the House's proposal," said Don Knezek, CEO of ISTE. "It puts a world-class, future-focused education front and center while also preserving and creating jobs now."

ISTE continues to work on increasing Ed Tech funding levels in the final package and urges US members of the Ed Tech community to send letters through ETAN.

Further reading: http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=22601

Thanks to Matthew Farber for the heads up!

TELL THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES THAT YOU SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

2008-08-29T04:32:00.001-04:00

CoSN and ISTE have teamed with the National Education Association and the State Educational Technology Directors Association to initiate a PETITION, found at http://www.onegiantleapforkids.org/ that offers a collective vision of what a 21st Century Education should include.

Excerpted from the site:

Recent data shows that the stakes for our students acquiring 21st Century technology skills and knowledge have never been higher in terms of their own and our nation’s economic prosperity. For instance:

The Department of Labor reports that out of 55 industries, education is last in its use of technology.

By 2010, if current trends continue, more than 90 percent of all scientists and engineers will be living in Asia.

We call on the next President, in partnership with Congress, to take these bold steps to ensure a 21st Century Education, including:

Supporting access for all students to technology and the Internet.

Increasing federal funding for education technology through the Department of Education’s budget.

Preserving the E-Rate and providing robust bandwith in all classrooms to allow students and educators to use the cutting-edge digital applications and services.

Incorporating technology literacy and facility into state teacher standards, teacher training, and professional development.

Encouraging student technology literacy by the eighth grade.

Bring the Classroom to Life

2008-01-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

Students are tired of dull assignments. Can you blame them?

How many times do you dread going to a meeting or workshop because you know it will be dull and useless to you. Don't you appreciate when a presenter offers hands-on activities and interactive discussion that is relevant and interesting? Consider the type of learning that you appreciate and then apply that to your classroom, no matter the age level!

There are many websites that are dedicated to making learning challenging and motivating. Check out this little brain teaser, Monster Mind Reader (flash-based):

http://www.coolmath.com/math-mind-readers/

I like that it makes the participants do the math (adding and subtracting) and then brings the students to a higher level by challenging them to figure out how it works. I know adults who needed a little guidance. :)

The entire coolmath.com site has a wonderful objective:

An amusement park of math designed for fun! Come for the games... Stay for the lessons.

There are sites all over the web that offer activities that can be incorporated into existing lessons. It takes a little searching and a little lesson revision but your students will definitely appreciate the change!

Travel

2007-12-19T08:36:00.000-05:00

As the cold weather descends upon us, I dream of travel to warm climates. Some of my past holiday trips have included Florida, Aruba, Bahamas, and the like. You get the picture: warm breeze, hot sun, clean, sandy beaches...

This website is a unique way to chart your travels. I thought I covered a lot of territory in my travels. This chart shows just how big the world is and how much I have yet to discover!

A new generation of toys

2007-09-15T07:37:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen Webkinz, then you haven't seen the future of toys! The idea is that you purchase a stuffed animal (husky dog, raccoon, platypus, frog, etc.) for about $12.99. They are a little larger than beanie babies, about as plush as furbies, but have no sound. Seem unremarkable? Without internet access, they are. However, once you log in your "secret code" with Mrs. Birdy (what an annoying voice!) , you enter a new world with unlimited hours of exploration and play. You also get your printable adoption certificate (a la Cabbage Patch Kids) .

Your real pet is mirrored by a virtual pet. You adopt a pet with a personality of its own. You are also awarded some gifts and some kinzcash. With this money, you can buy a room for your pet, clothes, toys, decorations, etc. The more webkinz you adopt, the better the gifts. The premise is built on capitalism. To earn kinzcash, you work at jobs at the employment office , challenge opponents in tournaments, answers trivia questions, play games in an arcade, and periodically log in to certain pages for extra cash via gambling-type games (a la slot machine, wheel of fortune, etc.). With this cash, you can buy goods. The goods that are more desirable are those that are "exclusive" or "super exclusive" (supply and demand theory).

The site allows for interaction among kids. They can visit each other's rooms and play with the items that are placed there. Kids can also send each other things (kinzpost). There is also a chat feature though the interface is a bit cumbersome.

What you might find amazing is the number of adults on this site! Everywhere I go, I find parents logging in to their kids' accounts and playing. You don't know that a webkinz is being powered by an adult or a kid (there are strict processes in place to dissuade personal interaction outside the boundaries of the game).

OK, I admit I am addicted to the Goober's Lab arcade game (it is a tetris-like game that involves timed strategy moves). I also like the Kinz Post job (you need to stack boxes with the correct addends to equal the sum listed). Of course, you can't miss getting your free kinzcash by completing the daily activities like the Wishing Well and Arte's gem hunt (you can sell what you find or save them for the "legendary crown of wonder"). I am also amazed at the farming feature (kids buy seeds, plant, sow and then feed the farm-fresh foods to their pets). If pets get ill, they are taken to the doctor. There are books to read, recipes to create, clothes to fashion, and the list goes on. It is a somewhat complete virtual world!

I spoke to one teacher who harnesses the power of Webkinz. She bought one pet and brought it to her second-grade class as the "class pet" (no more dirty hamster cages to clean!). Each child got to take it home each weekend to log in to the computer (or perhaps just hug it for the weekend). The students each contributed to the pet's account, earning money, buying items, increasing the skill level, decorating the rooms and dressing it! The children collaborated to create the best possible home for their pet. The Webkinz account expires at the end of the year unless a new pet is bought and added. Thus, the next year's class gets two pets!

I've also seen blogs posted by kids about their webkinz. Check out this one, complete with images of the adoption certificates!

While a lot of the webkinz site is purely entertainment, there is learning strewn throughout. It doesn't seem like an educational site (thus the allure!). What many find questionable is Canadian toymaker Ganz's marketing strategies and emphasis on commercial ism that is obvious throughout the site. Having kids log on for free items at a certain time certainly motivates them to keep coming back! Kids spent an average of two hours and eight minutes per visit on Webkinz between April 2006 and January 2007. Ganz reports that toy buyers have snapped up more than 2 million Webkinz pets since April 2005 and better than 1 million users have registered online. More than $20 million in retail sales in less than 24 months! With Club Penguin recently purchased by Disney for $350 million (and another $350 million promised if performance objectives are met), Webkinz is poised to become one of the most lucrative toys of all times!

In the words of Goober, that's "atomicolicious!"

Citizendium

2007-07-27T23:45:00.000-04:00

So, can Citizendium do what everyone worries that Wikipedia isn't doing? Will they be able to ensure their information is credible?

It seems that their premise is that they hope to attract a "better crowd."

They state: "We're collegial."

The Free Dictionary says collegial is defined as:

Characterized by or having power and authority vested equally among colleagues.

But then again, the free dictionary might not be reliable.

So, are those contributing to Wikipedia inequal?

Tiny It Up

2007-07-11T10:09:00.000-04:00

Although it may be an extra step, making URLs shorter is just nice Internet etiquette (and sometimes email-necessary). I've added Tiny URL to my toolbar and easily and quickly make those long URLs manageable. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/

The future of education according to Gates

2007-02-11T19:16:00.000-05:00

EDINBURGH, Scotland--Technology will greatly impact the way people choose educational institutions, according to Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

But we already knew this, didn't we?

"The role of the teacher is still fundamental to learning, Gates stressed, but more effort must be put into training teachers in IT, and more tools must be created for them--for instance, software that could help them create a curriculum from online sources. "

Bill Gates' syllabus for tech and education
Globalization to allow for more specialization in the way people learn, Microsoft chairman says at Edinburgh forum.

By Sylvia Carr

CNET News.com
Published: January 31, 2007, 12:27 PM PST

It's a Woot Off!!!!

2007-01-30T06:24:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard of woot, this will be an adventure! This campy site offers one electronic-type item each day at midnight central time until it is sold out. You can usually buy up to 3 of the item. Shipping is always $5.00. Items are sometimes refurbished, sometimes close-outs, and sometimes one-of-a-kind. Prices are always good. The community is very active and entertaining to read.

Today is the monthly woot-off! With sirens flashing, an item goes on sale until it is sold out and then another item goes up until it sells out. This continues until Woot stops (spontaneously).

Check out the podcast!

Go Elf Yourself

2006-12-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

I just couldn't resist!

Warning... This will eat up hours of time but invoke a lot of laughter!

http://www.elfyourself.com/

Interactive Christmas Card

2006-12-20T21:30:00.000-05:00

A very merry Christmas to all!

Ashland University Holiday Card

Augmented Reality

2006-12-03T05:57:00.000-05:00

I've been fascinated by developments in virtual reality for some time. I've participated in any game-type exercises I could find (some exciting while others all-hype and no substance). I've also had the pleasure of meeting and discussing developing projects by the Boston Computer User's Virtual Reality Group. Virtual reality's impact on education has been saddly limited (although the possibilities are vast). One well-known application is Chris Dede's River City (his work with MUVEs in education).

More sites and information compiled here.

Enter augmented reality! We've seen it on car commercials and in kids' movies. Can it really work its way into education? This youtube clip of a demo by D'Fusion at a 2004 conference certainly is impressive.

Now, Nokia researchers are working on a system called Mobile Augmented Reality Applications (MARA) that allows physical objects to be identified and connected to the internet through mobile-phone screens. For a review of this technology, take a look at this recent article by Kate Greene in MIT's Technology Review. As this type of technology becomes a part of our everyday lives, how can we ban it in schools instead of embracing its opportunities in teaching and learning?

NJASL Presentation

2006-10-31T21:32:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of presenting at the NJASL conference yesterday. What a great group of educators, interested in and enthused by educational technology! I brought 50 hand-outs, the room's capacity, and needed an additional 50 (thanks to you who suffered through standing or sitting on the floor). Here are the links to the information, as promised.

This link is to the Powerpoint presentation. If you didn't get the handout!

This link is to the web resources you might find helpful to teach about evaluating internet sites. Some links may be defunct as I haven't checked all of them within the last few months.

Also, some of you were looking for the article in which the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, talks about not using it as a research reference. This is the link to the Chronicle article.

Thanks to everyone for a great session!

The Venice Project

2006-10-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

Ground-breaking technologists Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis (of Kazaa and Skype fame), have embarked on a new project that focuses on television and the social power of the internet--code name "Venice Project." Little is known, but speculation is that it's likely to be based on peer-to-peer distribution technology. The project's homepage (where you can apply to become a beta tester) says:

The Venice Project is a new venture that combines the best elements of the TV experience with the most powerful internet technologies, in a way that will redefine the way people think about television. It is not a file-sharing application or a video download service.

It is intended to be a project that gives viewers, advertisers and content owners more choice, control and creativity than ever before.

Sound promising? You can sign up for email updates.

I've completed the application to be a beta tester. I'll post updates.

Mooziko

2006-10-19T07:09:00.000-04:00

Mooziko, the self-described Africa's You Tube was recently launched in beta. The odd thing is that the videos that I watched were all of scantily-clad women gyrating---the music wasn't bad. ;-)

One video clip began with an ad for Secret deodorant. Somehow, this doesn't seem like youtube.

Technology's Impact on Our Perception of Beauty

2006-10-15T14:34:00.000-04:00

I saw this on boing boing today and had to share. This one-minute film clearly illustrates Dove's point for their campaign for real beauty. However, what it also alludes to is the impact of technology on everything, including our perception of beauty. The Photoshop editing at the end really drives home the point. All of the research that is conducted into what is deemed "beautiful" is made into reality through technology. We are aspiring to illusion. The analogy is that everyone should strive to sing like their studio-recorded mp3s. Not many would think that possible yet many in society still hold to the supermodel billboard as the goal.

I suppose we could look even further into technology's impact on the perception of beauty and conclude that our identities have no physical beauty online. Wonder if they'll develop a re-touch tool for peoples' personalities in social networking sites? Perhaps one could run a scan on blog posts to ensure they are pleasing to read? ;-)

Ike Wiki

2006-10-11T20:29:00.000-04:00

First of all, you just have to love the name (and connotation).

From wikipedia:
A Semantic Wiki is a Wiki that has an underlying model of the knowledge described in its pages. Regular wikis have structured text (in this article: Introduction, Example, ...) and untyped hyperlinks (the links in this article). Semantic Wikis allow the ability to capture or identify further information about the pages (metadata) and their relations. Usually this knowledge model is available in a formal language, so that machines can (at least partially) process it. The technologies developed by the Semantic Web community build the basis for reasoning about the knowledge model.

In particular, machines can calculate new facts (e.g. relations between pages) from the facts represented in the knowledge model.

Interesting to watch, in my opinion, the next generation evolve...

Clustering Technology

2006-09-02T03:18:00.000-04:00

Take a look at this search engine: http://vivisimo.com/ founded in June 2000 by Carnegie Mellon University research computer scientists.

From the company website:

Instead of returning just the first ten results of umpteen thousand on the search results page, we organize search results by using creative visualization techniques to give you the big picture for a faster, but more thorough, exploration of search results. Simple, yet powerful controls put you in command of your own search experience. In one quick glance, you can see the entire range of search results organized for easy drill-down and navigation. You can quickly weed out irrelevant information and uncover relationships that you would never have found by using a traditional search engine.

Typing in your own name somewhat gives you a view of how your professional life is categorized.

Upcoming Presentations

2006-07-30T12:01:00.000-04:00

Here is an update on my upcoming speaking engagements:

I've been accepted to speak at the New Jersey Association of School Librarians Annual Fall Conference, October 29 - 31, 2006 in Long Branch, NJ. The talk is called: Essential Internet Savvy: Tips & Tricks; it is Monday,10-30-06 from 1:30 pm- 2:45 pm.

I've been invited to speak to the Montclair chapter of Delta Pi Epsilon. More details to follow.

I've submitted to the New Jersey Association for Educational Technology Annual Fall Conference 2006: Are We There Yet? Digital Immigrants or Digital Natives? on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at Georgian Court University, Lakewood NJ.

I'll be presenting a talk to the Greater Wayne chapter of Mothers & More on August 15th at 7:30pm. The talk is called: 10 tips on how to pick a good school.

I've also been invited to speak on a panel at FETC . No details yet.

Finally, I'm working on submitting a proposal to NECC 2007 in Atlanta, June 24-27, 2007.

I'll post upcoming publications as I get more information.

Blogs, MySpace and the Classroom

2006-07-18T10:59:00.000-04:00

I received a post from a listserv I subscribe to: TLT-SWG moderated by Steven Gilbert. Links to the full text of the articles are available on their website.

I've excerpted pieces from the post:

REAL QUESTIONS: Can we find ways of using these new “Social Networking” or “Web 2.0” tools responsibly?

To improve teaching and learning?

DO YOU KNOW OF CONSTRUCTIVE EXAMPLES OF EDUCATIONAL USES OF MYSPACE OR FACEBOOK?

1. “Most students today arrive at college assuming that a Google search is the first choice for doing research, that MySpace is the model for creating online content and building peer communities, and — perhaps most important — that multitasking with various electronic devices, often from remote locations, is the traditional way to do class work.” - “Beyond Google: What Next for Publishing?” Kate Wittenberg of EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Initiative at Columbia U.,< kw49@columbia.edu

2. [From a middle school teacher] “Unlike my generation, which tends to use MySpace to keep in touch with friends across the world, the generation of students I teach uses MySpace as a prolonged, entirely unsupervised locker break. This adolescent MySpace is filled with profanity, dangerously personal information, sexually explicit pictures, drug references and, in some cases, even pornographic videos. Usually these posts are riddled with misspellings and grammatical errors. But the message is clear: Anything goes. During this locker break, there are no hall monitors, no teachers watching for trouble and, clearly, few parents who are anywhere nearby.” - “MySpace Gone Wrong,” Cheryl MacPherson, of Gunston Middle School, < macpherson@apsva.us >

3. “…MySpace.com is planning new restrictions on how adults may contact its younger users in response to growing concerns about the safety of teenagers who frequent the popular online social networking site. …MySpace has no mechanism for verifying that users submit their true age when registering. That means adults can sign up as teens and request to join a 14-year-old's list of friends, which would enable the full profiles. …Driven largely by word of mouth, MySpace has grown astronomically since its launch in January 2004 and is now second in the United States among all Web sites by total page views, … The site currently has some 87 million users, about a quarter registered as minors, according to the company.” - “ MySpace Plans New Restrictions for Youths,” Anick Jesdanun,

Tools for Teachers Showcased at NECC

2006-07-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

NECC is one of the best conferences for teachers interested in educational technology. If nothing else, the exhibit hall is jam-packed with all kinds of resources, from furniture to books to ipods to software to t-shirts!

Next year's NECC is in Atlanta, GA. The call for proposals to present opens September 6. Why not get your proposal ready now?

Here is a review of some of the more exciting resources for teachers in the enhibit hall this year: NECC Highlights: Top Web Resources for Teachers By Peggy Benton

Maine extends laptop program with Apple

2006-07-09T10:19:00.000-04:00

July 5, 2006— Maine has signed off on a $41 million contract with Apple Computer Inc. to provide new laptop computers to more than 30,000 seventh- and eighth-graders and their teachers, extending the school laptop program for another four years.
Maine was the first state to equip students statewide with laptops, and officials say the initiative remains the biggest of its type in the nation.

To read the rest of this article, go to e School News Online: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=6419

Ogling Google

2006-07-05T09:30:00.000-04:00

This is Google's new server facility in The Dalles, Oregon. The photo was published a few weeks ago in the New York Times along with an article by John Markoff and Saul Hansell (you can search for the article but need to register for free on the New York Times site to view it). The facility, which is under construction, is only one of several Google data centers, but may "soon be one of the world's most powerful supercomputers".

Job Posting

2006-07-03T10:46:00.000-04:00

I received this information from Art Fanroth. If interested, please contact him directly at afanroth@classlink2000.com or (201) 271-1010 ext. 110
(Let him know I sent you!):

ClassLink Overview

A Universal Learning Environment is where technology and education come together to deliver the benefits of communication, collaboration, reporting and assessment within a single interface.
ClassLink is the only educational technology management solutions provider to facilitate the creation of Universal Learning Environments in the K-12 marketplace.

With ClassLink, schools and school districts can achieve their technology potential, inside and outside of the classroom. We help schools embrace a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, technology platform that fosters an atmosphere of real-time collaboration among students, teachers, parents, IT management and administrators.

Designed to accelerate learning, ClassLink saves schools money by leveraging their existing technology, as well as time, by drastically reducing the need for maintenance and monitoring of classroom technology.

Position: Director of Education

Responsibilities:

Director of Education will be responsible for the overall direction of education department including curriculum design and training as well as the research and identification of current trends in educational technology and methodologies. Responsibilities will include professional development, product management, curriculum design, publication within educational journals, presentations at conferences and client presentations and ongoing research projects.

The ideal candidate will have classroom experience, management experience and an in-depth knowledge of educational technology and integration. Job includes travel.

Must be assertive, high energy, independent, results oriented and possess a strong sense of urgency. The ideal person is intelligent, motivated, and has superior interpersonal and communications skills. Must be able to lead, communicate, direct, coach and supervise.

Specific tasks and responsibility will include but not limited to the following:

1. Professional Development and Product Training
• Develop and deliver high-quality educational technology curriculum to K-12 students and teachers.
• Responsible for the research, design, development, and management of professional development program (web based, virtual classroom and instructor-led, etc. training methods).
• Provide direction regarding the coordination of all training details including hiring/coaching instructors, scheduling and course materials

2. Product Management
• Lead product presentations at related conferences, marketing events and speaking engagements
• Collaborate with VP of Product Development in product design and development concepts
• Conduct client Beta Testing and all application testing
• Analyze product feedback for educational purposes

3. Research and Publications
• Oversee company research initiatives
• Continuously publish in educational journals and periodicals
• Provide on-going educational research and analysis

4. Special Projects
• Respond to RFP’s and grant writing as needed
• Manage ClassLink Scholarship Program annually
• Conduct internal workshops as needed
• Participate in sales process

Qualifications and Specific Skills Needed:

• Masters degree preferably in education
• 5+ years in-classroom teaching, curriculum development, experience running professional development groups, management of others
• Ability to comfortably speak to large groups
• Willingness to travel
• Exceptional communication skills.

Technical Qualifications:
• High degree of computer literacy
• MS Office Suite (esp. FrontPage, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• HTML, Dreamweaver
• Adobe Suite
• Camtasia

teachade (beta) launches

2006-07-02T16:25:00.000-04:00

I've joined a new site for teachers called: teachade. I've set up a group for all of my NJCU students called "Z's Learners," (based on the name my Distance Learning students called themselves in a recent Tapped In session).

I've also set up two groups for English and Language Arts teachers (one for secondary teachers and one for elementary teachers). I will serve as a mentor for these groups. I encourage your participation: post sites, upload resources, share learning moments, invite friends, etc.

I encourage you to join these groups as well as others that are there and soon to come! You can be on the cutting edge! The beta site just launched yesterday (to be unveiled at the NECC conference on Wednesday in San Diego) and will prove to be a fertile, exciting environment for you to share knowledge and resources. It is, in essence, the "virtual place" I've often said I wish existed for teachers.

Here is the first "Learning Moment:"

Learning moment of the day
Welcome to teachade. Our mission here is to provide you with a web site that supports your professional work, and provides an engaging place to discuss teaching.

We believe that the opportunity created by new web technologies offers tremendous benefits. Uploading weblinks and sharing content among a community of like minded individuals will save time. Engaging in discussions about useful topics can support personal growth, improve the practice and benefit students. It can also be fun. Ultimately, the virtual conversation among you will change education for the better.

Use of the site and membership to teachers is free. We maintain the site through the support of commercial members who value the opportunity to participate. By the way, the "ade" in teachade stands for something: authoring, dissemination environment. In short, it is a place where you can create and share.

Useful Links from Ed Media

2006-06-28T21:10:00.000-04:00

I am in Orlando enjoying the Ed Media conference. I attended several sessions that were both informative and enjoyable today. I'm posting the resources that were shared:

Digital Library Network for Engineering and Technology http://www.dlnet.vt.edu/
A digital library project funded by the National Science Foundation. DLNET is envisaged as a repository of "Learning Objects" (LOs) as well as a platform for information discovery, interaction, content-building and distribution that will support pedagogy and learning in Engineering and Technology. DLNET is a collaborative effort of four institutions: American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE), Iowa State University (ISU) and Virginia Tech (VATECH). DLNET is hosted by the Alexandria Research Institution (ARI) of Virginia Tech.

Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching http://www.merlot.org
MERLOT is a free and open resource designed primarily for faculty and students of higher education. Links to online learning materials are collected here along with annotations such as peer reviews and assignments.

David Reiss Digital Media Production http://www.davidreiss.com/links.html
The URL is to his Links page which offers his free Flash Virtual Demo Reel Player 1.0 source file and his FLASH Video Player w/ text Field Version 2.0

Distance Learning News

2006-06-09T04:39:00.000-04:00

There are so many pertinent articles for my students in this week's Distance-Educator, that
I'm just pointing to the link rather than excerpting or summarizing.

If you haven't subscribed yet, you should (great info).

A Positive Outlook

2006-06-01T20:35:00.000-04:00

Johnson's latest blog on SAT scores is refreshing. He is the only person I know who says that kids today are smarter!

When I look at what my kids are doing at 6 and 8 years old and think back to 20 and 30 years ago and what kids did then, I find it very easy to agree with Johnson. I'm not talking about memorizing multiplication tables, I'm referring to critical thought. My 8-year-old can think of alternative solutions to challenges faster and with more creativity than most adults. It's how this generation is wired!

A new perspective

2006-05-28T16:42:00.000-04:00

If you've got 5 minutes to spare, check out this link. It's really moooooving.

The First $100 Laptop

2006-05-28T16:33:00.000-04:00

The first working prototype of the $100 Laptop is unveiled at the Seven Countries Task Force Meeting, 23 May 2006.

Google Desktop Beta

2006-05-11T19:39:00.000-04:00

Google just came out with a new desktop. I LOVE it! Now all of my favorite things are within a click away--photos, music, websites, email, you name it! Everything I own is searchable. I have to learn how to customize it even more. I feel like I'm surrounded by my favorite stuff! Finally, the computer is becoming a personal space. Now my desktop matches my virtual identity.

Research sources

2006-05-08T10:59:00.000-04:00

If you are researching educational technology issues, below are sites that may prove useful:

NJCU Guarini Library http://www.njcu.edu/guarini/

Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com/

AERA SIG Communication of Research Links to Open Access journals in the field of education: http://aera-cr.asu.edu/ejournals/

SAMPLE ONLINE JOURNALS

• Ed Week - http://www.edweek.org/
• Electronic Text Center - http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/
• IT Journal Online - http://etext.virginia.edu/journals/itjournal/
• Journal Of Computer-Mediated Communication - http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/
• Journal of Technology Education - http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/
• Kappan Articles On-line - http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/karticle.htm
• Learning and Leading with Technology, ISTE – http://www.iste.org/LL/30/8/index.cfm
• Library in the Sky - http://www.nwrel.org/sky/
• Technology Source - http://horizon.unc.edu/TS/
• The Technology Teacher - http://www.iteawww.org/F1.html
• T.H.E. Journal.com - http://www.thejournal.com/
• Triangle Journals - http://www.triangle.co.uk/

Mathematics Resources for Educators

2006-04-19T15:52:00.000-04:00

AAA Math
http://www.aaamath.com
Interactive practice and estimation games sorted by grade level and math topic.
Grades K-8

AIMS Puzzle Corner
http://www.aimsedu.org/puzzle/index.html
Provides over 100 interesting puzzles that can help students learn to enjoy puzzles and the mathematics behind them

BasketMath Interactivehttp://www.scienceacademy.com/BI/index.html
Students choose a math skill from the table of contents and a mathematics question and animation based on a basketball game appears. Click the Results option to get a score.

Cool Math 4 Kidshttp://www.coolmath4kids.com Grades K-5
http://www.coolmath-games.com/ Grades 3-8
Interactive math activities for students with games, calculators, etc.

Create A Graphhttp://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/
Create bar, line, area, or pie graphs online! You submit the data and the website does the rest! Grades 2-8

The Counting Story
http://www.magickeys.com/books/count/index.html
This site is illustrated with animated pink bunnies that do different tricks on each number page. Grades PreK-1

Digital Lesson
http://www.digitallesson.com/
Middle School Math Downloads

Escape From Knabhttp://www.escapefromknab.com
Escape From Knab (the strange and slimy planet) was created by the financial institution Firstar to help students develop financial strategies that will enable them to make sound decisions about day to day financial matters. (Shockwave required.) Grades 6-8

ExploreLearning.com
http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspResourceCatalog
Offers a variety of resources to teach mathematics, including multimedia learning activities that enable teachers to illustrate difficult math concepts with interactive simulations.

Free Puzzles.com http://www.freepuzzles.com/puzzles/PuzzlePage.asp?PuzzleNumber=Math012&CategoryID=3
Free Puzzles offers interactive math and geometry puzzles with solutions. Grades 3-12

Fun Brainhttp://www.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/getskill.cgi?A4=1
Grades K-6

Gameaquariumhttp://www.gamequarium.com
“The site that swims with learning fun!” Grades PreK-6

Get Smarter
http://www.getsmarter.org/
Get Smarter is an interactive site where students can compare their math and science achievement against others worldwide. Grades 3-12

Go Math
http://www.gomath.com
Online math with 3-D Virtual Physics, Algebra and Geometry Solutions, graphs (AutoGraph) SAT Math, and interactive tutorials and quizzes. Grades 6-12

Harcourt Multimedia Math Glossary
http://www.harcourtschool.com/glossary/math2/index_temp.html
Interactive, animated math glossary for Grades 1-8.

Hotmath
http://hotmath.org
Hotmath has tutorial solutions and answers for math problems found in pre-algebra, algebra, pre-calculus, calculus and geometry textbooks. Grades 9-12

I know That Math Games
http://www.iknowthat.com/com/L3?Area=L2_Math

Interactive Calculus http://www.studyworksonline.com/cda/explorations/main/0,,NAV2-62,00.html

Interactive Trig
http://www.studyworksonline.com/cda/explorations/main/0,,NAV2-23,00.html

Interactive Math Activities http://www.globalclassroom.org/authors/florida/math/interactive.html
Pattern Blocks, base ten, and integer activities. Grades K-2

Interactive Math
http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/index.shtml
A variety of interactive math activities. Grades 2-12

Interactive Math Site
http://www.c3.lanl.gov/mega-math/index.html
Los Alamos National Laboratory provides games teaching color theory, knots, algorithms, graphs and more. Grades 6+

Illuminations
http://illuminations.nctm.org/
NCTM: Each grade level section includes lesson plans, interactive lessons for students and an interactive version of NCTM Standards. Grades Pre-k-12

Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles http://www.cut-the-knot.com/Curriculum/index.shtml
Math site with puzzles, games, a math glossary, and more. All Grades

K-8 Online Animated Interactive Lessons
http://www.dositey.com/index.html
Fun games...exciting exercises...involving interactive lessons Grades K-8. You can also print out free worksheets.

Kids Math
http://www.kidsmath.com/e_int.html
Math activities for grades 1-5 (Requires Java)

Math Goodies: Interactive Math Lessons With A Problem-Solving Approach!
http://www.mathgoodies.com/
A free educational site featuring interactive math lessons. All Grades

The Math Forum @ Drexel's Ask Dr. Math
http://www.mathforum.org/dr.math
The Math Forum @ Drexel's Ask Dr. Math is a database of math problems with tutorial solutions that lets students search for problems similar to those on their homework. All Grades

King's List of Online Math Activities http://www.k111.k12.il.us/king/math.htm
A huge listing of math interactive activities for all grades. Grades K-12

Math6.org
http://math6.org/
Grade 6 Online quizzes, worksheets, jeopardy games that students can play independently, etc.

Math Advantage (Harcourt Brace)
http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/math_advantage.html
Online resource for grades K-12.

Math Exercises
http://www.syvum.com/math/arithmetic/level1.html
Online activites for levels 1-4.

Math Glossary
http://www.hbschool.com/glossary/math
Math Glossary provides illustrated and animated definitions and explanations for math terms to help students with homework. Grades K-6

Math Playground
http://www.mathplayground.com/
Fun, real-world math problems. Grades K-6

Math TV
http://www.mathtv.org/
Math video word problems (middle school students).

Mathematicians of the African Diasporahttp://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/00.INDEXmad.html

Measure 4 Measure
http://www.wolinskyweb.net/measure.htm#science
A complete list of online calculators and converters. Grades 3-12

Online National Budget Simulatorhttp://www.budgetsim.org/nbs/
This activity asks students to adjust spending and tax expenditures in the 2004 budget proposed by the White House in order to achieve either a balanced budget or any other target deficit. Grades 7+

Primary Grades Interactive Math Sitehttp://www.globalclassroom.org/ecell00/javamath.html
Huge listing of sites related to specific math skills. Grades K-3

QuickMathhttp://quickmath.com
QuickMath is an online calculator that solves equations and does all sorts of algebra and calculus problems - instantly and automatically! The answer is then displayed on your browser, usually within a couple of seconds. Grades 9-12

SchoolHouse Rock
http://www.apocalypse.org/pub/u/gilly/Schoolhouse_Rock/HTML/schoolhouse.html
Lots of catchy tunes to help students learn about grammar, America, mathematics, science, and computers. The RealPlayer plug-in is required for the audio and video files. Grades 2-5

Silver Burdett Gin Math Activites
http://www.sbgmath.com/act.html
Ready to use math activity descriptions, activity sheets and answer keys. Grades 3-6

S.O.S. MATHematics
http://www.sosmath.com
S.O.S. MATHematics is a free resource for math review in which students can browse more than 2,500 Math pages filled with short and easy-to-understand explanations. Grades 9-12

Teach R Kids Math
http://www.teachrkids.com/
Students learn number basics, addition, subtraction, fractions, and much more with interactive online math worksheets. Grades PreK-3

Visual Fractions
http://www.visualfractions.com/
Interactive practice to help students visualize fractions. Grades 3-8

Wicked
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/maths/interactives.php
Interactive flash and shockwave games to practice basic math facts.

The latest web buzz

2006-04-16T08:58:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, the complaining began...there is too much information on the web. Searching for something is time-consuming and confusing. Google has tried to simplify and specify searches, but the dilemma still exists. The introduction of blogs just adds to the data overload. RSS feeds help to organize news, but one must find the sites that will deliver the information desired. One site that I have found that is comprehensive about the latest web buzz is Popular URLs.

If only I had the time to read through all of the links!

Online Learning Resources

2006-04-09T21:30:00.000-04:00

I've been researching for some pieces I'm writing. I am also getting my dissertation ready for publication (before the data gets old). Following is a list of peer-reviewed journals primarily about online learning:

Journal of Interactive Online Learning
http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/

Journal for Asynchronous Learning Networks
http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/jaln/index.asp

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administrationhttp://www.westga.edu/~distance/jmain11.html

THE Journal
http://thejournal.com/

TechLearning
http://www.techlearning.com/

International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning http://www.itdl.org/index.htm

American Journal of Distance Education
http://www.ajde.com/index.htm

International Journal on E-Learning (IJEL)
http://www.aace.org/pubs/ijel/default.htm

The MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (JOLT)
http://jolt.merlot.org/index.html

ED MEDIA

2006-04-06T06:33:00.000-04:00

>> Final Call for Participation Deadline: April 14th <<

I'm presenting a corporate showcase with Discovery Education at ED-MEDIA 2006--World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications this June on unitedstreaming. The title of the talk is: Scaffolding Teacher Knowledge Through Integrating unitedstreaming in the Classroom.

There is still time to submit a proposal:
June 26-30, 2006 * Orlando, Florida
(Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld)
** Submissions Due: April 14, 2006 **
Organized by Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

A PC By Any Other Name

2006-04-05T15:13:00.000-04:00

Apple Introduces Boot Camp Public Beta Software Enables Intel-based Macs to Run Windows XP

I just received an email from Apple. On one hand I think this is good news. I've used Virtual PC and it can be a real pain. On the other hand, I'm a bit saddened by the news. What is a Mac that runs Windows XP? A PC, of course. The distinction seems to be becoming less and less.

Boot Camp Beta: Requirements, installation, and frequently asked
questions (FAQ)

CUPERTINO, California--April 5, 2006--Apple® today introduced Boot Camp, public beta software that enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP. Available as a download beginning today, Boot Camp allows users with a Microsoft Windows XP installation disc to install Windows XP on an Intel-based Mac®, and once installation is complete, users can restart their computer to run either Mac OS® X or Windows XP. Boot Camp will be a feature in "Leopard," Apple's next major release of Mac OS X, that will be previewed at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in August.

"Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows, but many
customers have expressed their interest to run Windows on Apple's
superior hardware now that we use Intel processors," said Philip
Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
"We think Boot Camp makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users
considering making the switch."

Kinda cool

2006-04-04T21:52:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday this week, April 5th, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 AM in the morning, it will be 01:02:03, 04/05/06.

The Nature of Blogs

2006-04-02T11:36:00.000-04:00

as·ter·ism n.

1. Printing. Three asterisks in a triangular formation used to call attention to a following passage. It is Unicode character U+2042.

2. Astronomy. A cluster of stars smaller than a constellation.

3. Mineralogy. A six-rayed starlike figure optically produced in some crystal structures by reflected or transmitted light, as in star sapphire (corundum).

My Blog:

1. Calling attention to what I have found or discovered.
2. Clusters of data and/or information.
3. Reflections of the web.

NECC 2006

2006-03-29T20:50:00.000-05:00

I've attended past NECC conferences. They are very large, comprehensive events--excellent for technology-using teachers. I won't be in San Diego this year as I'm presenting at the ED MEDIA conference in late June. I look forward to NECC 2007 in Atlanta.

The deadline for registering for NECC 2006 at the Super Early-Bird rate of $199 is this FRIDAY the 31st.

Registration is lower for ISTE and California CUE members: $145 at the Super Early-Bird rate. If you're not already an ISTE member, you can sign up via the NECC registration process.

Chris Dede

2006-03-28T20:38:00.000-05:00

I am a fan of Dr. Chris Dede's work. I've had the opportunity to speak with him as an expert visitor while I attended Pepperdine. He also spoke at a recent NJEDGE conference as keynote where I had the pleasure to witness his work with MUVEs.

Read the latest interview with Dede here.

Global Mentoring

2006-03-28T20:08:00.000-05:00

Students in my Distance Learning class get the opportunity to become a telementor as one of their projects (if they select the option). I am always heartened by the reaction following the mentoring--they are inevitably enriched by the experience and see the value of it in education.

I've joined a global mentoring worldwide community (part of the TED pledge process). Take a look at the new blog and see if it is something that might enrich your life!

Virus Warning

2006-03-28T13:07:00.000-05:00

Gotta love a spoof on those hoax emails...

Virus Warning!

There is a dangerous virus being passed electronically, orally and by hand. This virus is called Worm-Overload-Recreational-Killer (or as it's commonly known - WORK)

If you receive WORK of any kind from any of your colleagues, your boss or anyone else via ANY means DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private/social life completely.

If you should come into contact with WORK, follow these instructions:

1. Put on your jacket
2. Take 2 friends to the nearest bar
3. Purchase the antidote known as Work-Isolator-Neutralizer-Extractor (or as it's commonly called - WINE)
4. Ingest the antidote orally in 6-8 oz doses repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.

PLEASE forward this warning to 5 friends. If you do not have 5 friends, you have already been infected and WORK is controlling your life!

This virus is DEADLY! Run (don' t walk) to the closest liquor store or restaurant
(if you are not near a bar) and administer the antidote immediately!

UPDATE: After extensive testing, it has been concluded that Best-Equivalent-Extractor-Remedy (or BEER) may be substituted for WINE.
Please note that you may require a more generous dosage in order to receive equal benefit of WINE.

Looking out for you and your health!

Google Mars

2006-03-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

If you like Google Earth (or at least find it interesting), then you'll love Google Mars.

Online Photo Editing

2006-03-10T15:21:00.000-05:00

This is on Ronkowitz's Serendipity blog mentioned in my previous post. But, I thought it is worth breaking out...

Online photo editing that directly uploads to Flickr!

PXN8.com

Teaching Tools

2006-03-10T15:13:00.000-05:00

I attended (and moderated) a session at the NJEDge Faculty to Faculty Best Practices conference today. The first speaker, Ken Ronkowitz, Manager, Instructional Technology, NJIT, talked about several new and interesting tools that are being used in online learning environments. The URLs and further information is available on his blog.

I am definitely subscribing to his blog. Looks like he is on top of it all...

Google Spellcheck

2006-03-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

I've heard a number of students complain about the lack of spellcheck in WebCT. If you add a Google toolbar to your browser, you can simply click the "ABC check" and it will spell-check your discussion post before you send it.

TED 2006 Quote

2006-02-26T19:52:00.000-05:00

"If you really want to know what society is going to be like in 20 years, don't ask a technologists like me: ask kindergarten teachers. They are the ones that know what society is going to be like in one generation". —Clifford Stoll

TED Blog

Writely

2006-02-24T19:30:00.000-05:00

A colleague of mine from NJCU, Dr. Shamburg, recently informed me of a new online word processor--Writely. It seems like the ultimate answer to creating and sharing word processing documents from any computer with internet access. I am going to give the beta a try.

I already use mail2web for email access from anywhere(it is a lifesaver!).

Discover NJCU

2006-02-08T00:28:00.000-05:00

I'm in Austin, Texas. Tomorrow begins the Exhibitor portion of the TCEA conference. I'm here as a partner with Discovery Education promoting our new alliance. Discovery is giving all of my students in the Using the Internet class a unitedstreaming account. In return, I am incorporating it's integration in the classroom in the curriculum. It's a win-win situation. This summer, we are holding a special 8-week Using the Internet course that runs from July 10-Sept. 1. My goal in Texas is to bring more teachers from around the world into the course (and into the Ed Tech program). Check out the website and online registration... DiscoverNJCU

Davos Podcast- Challenging Students (Gates)

2006-02-06T19:33:00.000-05:00

Once again thanks to Johnson's blog for the link to the Davos podcast with Gates' comments on technology and education. This is a quote from Johnson of what Bill said about his book (Everything Bad) and education:

"First, I think this book is one that people should read pretty broadly. It's so counter intuitive, but I think it makes a very compelling case. And it really does fit it with what our foundation has found in the educational sector, which is that a lot of the failure to achieve is not challenging the kids enough, not making it interesting enough. So paradoxically, when you make it tougher, you get a higher level of engagement."

ICT Literacy Assessment

2006-02-03T08:46:00.000-05:00

ETS has developed an Information and Communication Literacy test for high schoolers. Some colleges and states are already using it. Interesting if this becomes the standard for kids to get into college.

IE 7 Beta

2006-01-31T20:35:00.000-05:00

Internet Explorer 7 Beta is out. Read the full review at PC Magazine. If 6 of 8 reviewers uninstalled it, then it's not for me!

Google Toolbar 4 (Beta)

2006-01-30T20:10:00.000-05:00

If you like to be the first on the block with thelatest tech stuff, check out Google's new tool bar. Reviewed by PCMag here.

Video games

2006-01-29T10:04:00.000-05:00

Once again Steven Johnson's blog had me in stitches. It's nice to read the thoughts of a regular guy (who just happens to have a book published that was recognized by Bill Gates).

It's interesting to read what Gates and Schmidt say about the net and its future.

I can't seem to find what Gates had to say about video games and education.

This new study is pretty interesting though. Guess all us pong players are having kids.

Davos on Video Games

2006-01-26T20:13:00.000-05:00

Quote from Steven Johnson's Blog (he is in Davos speaking on video games):

It seemed surprising enough to me that World Economic Forum wanted to do a panel on video games, much less one called "Video Games Driving Social Evolution." But I figured that given all the world-saving panels going on elsewhere, our little session would attract a few stragglers who couldn't get in to see Bono. Imagine my surprise when our panel was one of the first to fill up in its time slot, and eventually attracted a packed room with more than a few media CEOs.

But maybe the most telling thing about the session -- which was skillfully moderated by the Times' John Markoff, whom I had somehow never met over my decade or so of conference-going -- was the overwhelming consensus in the room that games were largely a force for good: complex, challenging, and full of promise for future application in more traditional educational contexts. The few skeptical notes were voiced almost with an apologetic, I'm-just-playing-devil's-advocate tone. It was great to see; I hope the audience enjoyed hearing the discussion as much as I enjoyed participating in it.

That is worth repeating...

full of promise for future application in more traditional educational contexts..

Feeds

2006-01-24T03:42:00.000-05:00

One of the best ways to keep informed of news and information on the web is to monitor many websites. I look to sites such as the NYTIMES, Tech Bargains, the TED Blog, Steven Johnson's blog, Woot, PC Magazine's New Product Reviews, and the like, to keep updated on the latest goings-on (and shopping deals). Going to each site is time-consuming (and sometimes worthless--nothing new).

The latest way to organize these sites is to create RSS "feeds" to one site. You can subscribe to as many sites as you like, and all of the new information will feed to it. One of the many sites that allow this is Bloglines. I click on it each day and see any new information. It shows a snapshot of the latest headlines within the site. Setting it up is really easy (just copy and paste the URLs into the Blog or Feed URL box and click "subscribe". You can also go through their listings and subscribe to sites as well).

So if you want to go to a blog (like this one) only when something is new, subscribe to it!

The Next Computer Generation

2006-01-20T16:18:00.000-05:00

My sister sent me an email with this photo in it. It came as an attachment. Immediately I thought it was one of those "Friendship" attachments ("Send this to someone you care about, etc. etc."). I've asked her NOT to send those to me, yet I suppose she still does it with good intentions (or is she really just trying to annoy me?). Nevertheless, I almost deleted this one like the others, but I opened it instead. I had heard about these new projection computers but this was the first I'd seen a photo of it. I've seen the virtual keyboards on sale for $200 but haven't seen the whole system yet. How nice it will be to go through airport security!

New Year

2006-01-02T18:52:00.000-05:00

January 29, 2006 is the first day of the Chinese new year. If you were born in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, or 2006 - you were born under the sign of the dog. Like the dog, you are faithful to those you love, although you also can be very stubborn at times!

Famous people born in the Year Of The Dog include Michael Jackson, Andy Roddick, Bill Clinton and Jennifer Lopez.

According to legend, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve animals came, and Buddha named a year after each one of them. He told that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality.

The Dog is the eleventh animal among the twelve; the rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar rotate annually.

I was born under the sign of the horse. Here is what they say about "horse people":

Thank goodness for open spaces, because the Horse needs plenty of room to roam! Energetic, good with money and very fond of travel, Horses are the nomads of the Chinese Zodiac, roaming from one place or project to the next. All of this Sign's incessant activity and searching may be to satisfy a deep-rooted desire to fit in. Paradoxically, Horses feel a simultaneous yearning for independence and freedom.

Horses crave love and intimacy, which is a double-edged sword since it often leads them to feel trapped. Love connections tend to come easily to Horses, since they exude the kind of raw sex appeal that is a magnet to others. This Sign tends to come on very strong in the beginning of the relationship, having an almost innate sense of romance and seduction. Horses are seducers in general; check out any A-list party and you're bound to find the Horse in attendance. This Sign possesses a sharp wit and a scintillating presence; it really knows how to work a crowd. Surprisingly, Horses tend to feel a bit inferior to their peers, a misconception that causes them to drift from group to group out of an irrational fear of being exposed as a fraud.

An impatient streak can lead Horses to be less than sensitive to others' needs. These colts would rather take a situation firmly in hand as opposed to waiting for others to weigh in or come to terms with it. The lone wolf inside the Horse can at times push others away, but this also makes this Sign stronger and is a key to its success. Horses are self-reliant and, though they might lose interest fast in a tedious, nine-to-five day job, are willing to do the work necessary to get ahead.

Horses tend not to look much at the big picture; instead they just follow their whims, which can result in a trail of prematurely ended relationships, jobs, projects and so on. This Sign really knows how to motivate others, though, and get a lot accomplished. Once they find some peace within themselves, they can curb their wandering tendencies and learn to appreciate what's in their own backyard.

The most compatible match for a Horse is the Dog (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006) or the Tiger (1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998).

I tend to agree with most of what is written (love that "exuding raw sex appeal part"...*grin*).

Does the year in which we're born govern who we are? Perhaps the atrological zodiac affects us (Mantra of the 70-80's: "What's your sign?" I'm an Aquarius).

I'm thinking that when and where we're born has some cosmic effect but, more than anything, who we are is determined by what we've become.

As I look back on 2005, I can't say that it has been uneventful but I am ever grateful for this year. It has changed who I am. I battled cancer and won. I live to enjoy and appreciate each day. I'm not so concerned with how someone perceives me but how much I can take from life and give in return. I live each day and work to make my mark just a little bit darker. I'm not out for fame and fortune (though it wouldn't be bad); I'm out to do my share to make the world better and, in return, grow each day. Live, love, laugh--a cliche that isn't a bad mantra for 2006.

"Cable" radio

2005-12-26T19:20:00.000-05:00

Am I that old that radio is no longer worthwhile for me? The big news about Howard Stern going to Sirrius is lost on me. Yes, I listened to Stern when he was on the radio (when I was in the mood for talk radio). But, why in the world would anyone pay for "cable" radio? I barely watch cable TV! I would much rather go to Limewire, download all of my favorite music, burn CDs and listen to my music blaring in my jeep driving down the highway. Sure, I copy many of my favorite tunes to my mp3 player (it holds less than 100 songs- I never did get that ipod for Christmas!) Sorry, Howard, whatever you couldn't say because of the FCC just isn't worth paying to hear.

Merry Christmas

2005-12-23T08:43:00.000-05:00

There is so much controversy over the words, "Merry Christmas." Some christians want people to say it rather than "Happy Holidays." I've heard non-Christians talking about feeling left out from the holiday celebrations, with Christmas icons everywhere. I've heard people talking about the "watering down" of the holidays.

So, how do we make everyone happy? How about everybody just proudly displaying what they believe in? I would welcome being wished a Happy Hanukah. I may not celebrate the holiday but I'm not adverse to having a happy one nevertheless.

I buy "holiday" cards to send. I want to wish all of my friends a happy time, not just those who celebrate Christmas. The photo I include is of my boys with Santa. It's not like I'm ashamed of my beliefs. I think that is where the distinction is. We can all be proud of our traditions and values without imposing them on others.

Enjoy the day!

Time Persons of the Year

2005-12-19T21:43:00.000-05:00

Time just came out with their 2005 Person(s) of the Year....

Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono!

"For being shrewd about doing good, for rewiring politics and re-engineering justice, for making mercy smarter and hope strategic and then daring the rest of us to follow, Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono are TIME's Persons of the Year."

And I thought I had a chance...

This is the actual photo from the Times Square webcam. I was famous for a minute on December 12th at 8:06pm.

Time allowed us mere mortals to consider the possibility. Have you uploaded your photo?

The End of IE on the Mac

2005-12-19T21:36:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that they've finally done it. Microsoft is ending support for Internet Explorer for the Mac. I suppose this will mean Mac users will either use Netscape or move over to the dark side. I switched to a Toshiba laptop this year after being an avid and ardent Mac user since 1984 (actually the first computer I used was an Apple IIe). I was considered a Mac guru. Now I'm just a plain old PC user. I hate to admit but my PC is *much* faster and more stable than any brand, spanking new Mac I ever had (I always bought the latest and greatest--it was a sickness).

At least Apple has the market on mp3s still...

Two guys walk into a bar...

2005-12-19T16:52:00.000-05:00

"And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh."

Friedrich Nietzsche

I'm currently reading Steven Berlin Johnson's third book, Mind Wide Open. I have enjoyed his previous works (I used Interface Culture in one of the first Media Literacy courses I taught at Montclair State University). I recently had the pleasure of meeting Johnson(nice guy), introducing him at the New Jersey CIty University convocation, and interviewing him for a book I am writing. His latest book, Everything Bad is Good for You, talks about TV and media much in the same way that I view it (or do I see it the same as him? Chicken/egg syndrome). Regardless (not irregardless), I was looking forward to reading Mind Wide Open now that the fall semester has come to a close.

The first thing that struck me was a reference Johnson makes to humor. He states that he often interjects humor into unconventional situations (perhaps even at unorthodox times). He tests the limits of the situation, and those in it. I found this fascinating. Once again, he is writing what I have thought and felt about myself. I often find myself making jokes when others would consider it tabeau. As Johnson states, it is like pushing the envelope--seeing how far you can go and still stay within the limits of professionalism. Perhaps it is an intellectual risk-taking of sorts. It is certainly an unconscious effort on my part. As a matter of fact, I often laugh nervously during stressful situations (ask my dentist just how funny I can be!).

Sure,laughter is the best medicine. And a good sense of humor tops everybody's list of qualities they seek in a mate. But, is humor equivalent to intellect?

"Igor Krishtafovich is confident that humor always implies aggression. 'It is a bloodless verbal fight aiming to raise your status and strengthen your position. Even a friendly banter is a sort of intellectual clash, a kind of training before serious battles. In fact, we try to figure out who's the boss in the family when we poke fun at our loved ones,' says Mr. Krishtafovich."

If you're interested, this is Krishtafovich's formula for humor...

I can't see the aggression implication. Rather, I find the back-and-forth banter that so rarely happens invigorating! A verbal humor battle? I think not. More like a verbal humor dance. And what is a day without a dance (Nietzsche)?

Pride and Prejudice

2005-12-18T09:54:00.000-05:00

Now I've become a movie reviewer...

What a beautiful film. In this modern world encased with technology and electronics, it was wonderful to watch landscapes, and architecture, and, particularly, language! Yes, I watched language. The words were so absolutely beautiful--cutting at times, playful at others, that I was transfixed on their mouths delivering the lines. Yes, it sounds weird; but go see the film and you'll understand.

The plot was true to Austen's original (and the characters fairly well-rounded). The "prejudice" aspect was a bit down-played in the dialogue (though quite obvious in the cinematography). Again, a feast for eyes and ears.

I attended the movie with my parish priest. We had an interesting discussion after about the theme in modern times. Seems as if nothing has changed.

Pride and Prejudice is without: epic war scenes, fighting jedis, animation, nudity, stage makeup, or loud music. How wonderful! It is a love story with a true happily ever after.

Narnia

2005-12-15T19:31:00.000-05:00

I went with my sons' school today to see the movie, Narnia, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I sat in a packed theatre with 200 children ages 5-14. It was interesting to watch them. The little ones were, many times, scared to death. Some cried. The little 6 year old boy sitting next to me asked me to hold his hand throughout the movie while he covered his eyes with the other. At other times, the children cheered for the "good conquers evil" that was prevalent throughout the movie. I could see no real blood and gore (though the war seen was about as graphic as I could imagine) and there was no sex, profanity or nudity. I'll even admit that everything "bad" that happens, gets "undone".

So why all of the crying and handholding?

It's about exploiting your worst fears. The characters are as scary as anything I've ever seen in a nightmare. The things the children step over grab them from below. Wolves attack and nice strangers become evil torturers. At one point, the mighty lion is "sacrificed" by the evil witch. Prior to killing him, the queen has the little gremlins cut off his mane. What a twisted and demented scene for children to watch. It had no bearing on the movie but to throw all kinds of connotations out to the adults watching. We stare into the lions eyes as the witch stabs him to death. This is Disney?

The last scene where the lion is walking on the beach is the perfect time to tie in Thomas' dad and Edmond's dad (both warriors). I was dumbfounded when Thomas didn't say that the lion was his father. Why not?

It was entertaining in an epic kind of way. The kids liked the happy ending. However, the film lacks any credibility for so many reasons. I won't be buying the DVD.

I'll be seeing Pride and Prejudice Saturday night.

On the Internet, Nobody Knows You're a...

2005-12-12T08:36:00.000-05:00

One of the things that I find most interesting about the Net is the idea of a virtual identity. The Internet releases the physical being and allows the person to become whatever it is he or she wants to be. Most people don't take advantage of this (and some go way beyond the limits, but we don't need to go into that).

One of the most famous lines about this is from the New Yorker. So the physical playing field is leveled. What about the intellectual? This is where your identity shows. It seems one's Net identity is more about the intellectual self, than the physical or emotional self. I like that. Often, the intellectual gets lost or hidden behind all else. Like Spongebob says, "Patrick, your genius is showing." ("Where? Where?")

However, it is the emotional self that I find hard to dismiss.

How often do you send an email or chat and realize that what you've said could have been misconstrued? Sure, I use emoticons as much as the next guy (and maybe even more), but there are nuances in facial expressions and language tones that are simply lost in the written word. I admit I like to play around with words, make subtle jokes, etc. I do it in conversations and often this personality quirk(?) comes out in my emails. The dark side is that you often don't get to see the reaction of the recipient (so you have no idea what meaning was taken). There exists an entire range of emotions hidden and unexpressed.

One of the features I enjoyed when using Tapped In (original version), was the ability to have your "self" say how you felt. For example, your identity could type a command to say:

Laura grins.

In regular IM chat, if you type "grins," it looks something like:

Laura: grins.

I know the colon shouldn't really mean anything but it does. The first allows the recipient to "see" the action. The second has the recipient reading it. I feel that the closer one comes to "seeing" even if only in the mind's eye, the closer one comes to feeling.

Woot- No longer cool?

2005-12-11T23:48:00.000-05:00

I remember the first time I came across Woot-- what a cool concept... one electronic item each night offered for less cost than anywhere with no return policy. How could this be successful? Easy--it's about changing the way we think about the internet. It isn't about the item; it's about the "community." Does anyone go to Woot, look at the item and just buy it? I'm guessing that's only about 10% of the people who shop on Woot. My guess is that 90% go to the "Community" to see what they have to say about the item. More and more, shopping on the web has become about "reviews" and "opinions". Seems like the whole world can now offer a reference (Why do we trust them and who are these people anyway?).

Lately, the "Community" on Woot isn't so cool. They say some lame things about the item (complain, moan, groan) with little value in the comments. As a matter of fact, the items on Woot have become alarmingly boring as well.

I didn't even stay up for the last "woot-off" (if you don't know what it is, I'm not explaining it).

Am I really too cool for Woot? Wow!

It's Personal

2005-12-10T13:56:00.000-05:00

It's gotten to be so that electronics have become so *personal*. My husband wants to buy me a Christmas present. Last year, he got me a gift card for a "Day of Beauty" (massage and facial). I loved it. Took me a year to use it, but when I did, I loved it. This year, he asked me what I want (kind of takes away the whole gift idea but I digress!). So, I tell him I would like an ipod. The look of terror on his face was palpable!

"I can't get you something like that. You have to pick it out yourself!"

It's almost as if he was talking about a purse or, something unmentionably worse.

He is kind of right (Can you tell I hate admitting that?). If he gets me the Nano, I'll have to return it. It definitely won't fit right. If he goes for the white, well... that's the wrong color. And, without the right accessories, it's simply useless!

That massage and facial are looking better and better. Maybe he'll add the waxing this time. Just nothing with bluetooth...

Gliding

2005-12-02T06:20:00.000-05:00

The buzz in the Tech World is about Glide Effortless.

PC mag wrote a bit on it a few hours ago.

Steven Johnson mentioned it in his blog yesterday.

Even USA Today is reviewing it! "It packages powerful, but easy-to-use tools, for saving and sharing all kinds of digital files, including music, videos, photos, word processing documents and PowerPoint presentations."

At present, it's free! I have yet to register (I will now so that I'm not "out of the techie loop" I even have a Goggle mail account, you know!)

Depicting Educational Technology

2005-12-01T02:23:00.000-05:00

My university is having a homecoming artist display. You've heard of the cow parade? Well, a colleague of mine on campus, Ella, is introducing the Gothic Knight parade. There will be many of these concrete gothic knight heads around campus, decorated by interested parties. Homecoming week, the "heads" will be on display in an art exhibition. I immediately put in my bid to decorate a knight on behalf of the Educational Technology dept. Then I started to think, what graphically depicts "Ed Tech"? Certainly a computer theme would hit on one aspect, but that seems more "Computer Science" than "Ed Tech." Then I thought about great teachers and educational theorists, Montessori, Dewey, Vygotsky... but that hits only the educational end of the Ed Tech equation. Specifically, Ed Tech seems to mean the integration of technology into teaching and learning. SO, would those hot programs be a fair representation on the knight? Inspiration, unitedstreaming, SMART Board?

Personally, I would hate to think that Ed Tech is simply reduced to educational software and hardware. I tend to see it as more of an engaged learning theory augmented by tools. Think about the learning communities that now exist as a result. What about assistive technologies for those with special needs? I see Ed Tech as liberating students from their desks, whether physically getting them out of their seats to work on a giant graphing calculator on a SMART Board, or virtually bringing them to the Louvre through the internet.

I'm still baffled. How to decorate a knight?

Tivo your Season Pass to your ipod

2005-11-26T08:20:00.000-05:00

How many of us could understand what the title of this blog says? A few years ago the words, "Tivo," "Season Pass," and "Ipod" were unknown. It amazes me how the latest technology has changed the way we speak and think.

Tivo recently announced it will allow users to download their recordings to ipods and other such devices. Now we'll be able to schedule what we want to watch from our computers at work, and then take the recording with us the next day on our ipods and watch it on the train.

What next?

How amazing are we?

2005-11-14T19:37:00.000-05:00

I've been reading the posts on the TED Blog. Fascinating stuff (and fascinating group all together). I've signed up for the Global Mentor pledge. I love the concept. I hope it works!

Chris Anderson posted a pretty interesting piece about the mind's ability to make sense of a non-sensical world (my words).

Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Could you read every word?