Category Archives: Student Access

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Finally, A Better Connection!

Our IT department … well Dan, who is our IT person came in today and installed 2 new Cisco wireless routers that my students’ laptops can access. After lunch we took about 2 minutes to log on and took the new wireless out for a spin.

You may recall we have been relying on an 8 year old Apple Airport hub (an original … even had a place to plug in a modem) up until now. I had my students go straight to Free Rice because we knew that after 7 to 10 of us were on before the connection degraded to slower than an old phone line connection. Students would actually wait 2 minutes for Free Rice to navigate from one page to the next.

Well, the connection rocked! Pages loaded right now, even on the 8 year old Key Lime Green iBooks with 25 laptops accessing the network at once. After about 7-8 minutes of our “test run” though I started to hear complaints of it slowing to a crawl again. It picked back up again after a minute or 2, but then got somewhat spotty. Overall though a huge improvement over what we had!

We had “computer class” the last half hour of the day in the lab (1-2 year old HP desktops) and in talking to the aide she says the same thing happens to her daily. They’ll sail along and then for a period of time sloooowwww dooowwwnnn, and then pick back up again 2 to 10 minutes later.

I’m really hoping this bodes well for some projects coming up where I plan on having students doing web searches. We usually don’t have everyone searching at once (but that would be nice from time to time) so that should help. When I think how successful we have been blogging, designing wiki pages, Skyping, and all with a really poor connection, I’m looking forward to taking my students to the “next level”, whatever that may be exactly! : )

Learning is messy!

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Dealing With Adversity

Monday I broke the news to my students that we were down 10 laptops that had been stolen. We passed out the remaining 18 and figured out whose were missing. One student couldn’t get theirs to start up and upon investigation we realized that the keyboard had been opened and the airport card removed and other damage had occurred that prevented it from working.

So were the students that had their laptops stolen visibly upset? Not especially (note I said “visibly upset”). I mentioned when our classroom was broken into last year how during a class discussion it came out that this was not an unusual enough experience for my students (unfortunately). To that end we have begun a unit on perseverance and courage and “being involved.” I decided that during this election year would be an especially good time for “involvement.” We can’t do much as a class yet as far as being involved in replacing the computers because we don’t know yet what will happen as far as insurance (I’m not real optimistic – but we’ll see) – however we have already had some discussion about possibilities for being involved ourselves if necessary – not just being victims and having an “oh well” attitude.

From there I’m also planning on having the students look at other aspects of improving their lives. Having them identify issues that effect them … corresponding with various candidates for local, state and national office and so forth.

Should be some good messy learning!

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Stolen Laptops Update

The good news is that we are being told that the 32 stolen HP laptops will be replaced … when that will happen is of course way up in the air – could be months. I don’t know yet about any possibility of replacing my students’ iBooks and I have no idea when I might find out yet. The worst part is I can’t be involved, so far at least, so I have to ask questions through my very-busy-the-week-before-school-starts principal who I really don’t want to keep bothering.

Now I’m deciding how to handle this with my students. We will share the laptops we have left (about 18 although I’m not positive they all work, one looks “messed up”), and blog the best we can. We’ll just have to adapt for at least awhile.

Thanks again for all your kind thoughts!

Learning is messy!

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Not How I Envisioned Starting The Year – Update

Wow, I’ve had a lot response and offers of support since I posted yesterday about the theft of over 40 laptops from my school including 11 of the laptops that support my 1:1 laptop program – Thank You All!!!. Therefore I thought I’d better update you on the status of the investigation and replacement possibilities.

Today police reports and paperwork for “Risk Management” were filled out. What happens next is of course somewhat fuzzy, but my best guess is that the 30 HP laptops that were stolen will eventually be replaced … how long that will take ????? More complicated will be what happens with the 11 iBooks since they were old and we are now an “HP” district. Chris Lehmann suggested the HP Mini-Notes because of their cost … but we have to buy certain models of HP and Mini-Notes are not on the list. There was talk last year of me piloting an XO laptop program, but that went away because the money went away and IT was not real supportive – but maybe that would be a way to go.

So the upshot is that THANK YOU! so much to those of you that have offered sympathy and support, I am truly humbled that others would offer support so easily. I’m not 100% sure yet what support will be needed until the “Risk Management” part of this shakes out, but I will keep you updated on what happens.

Learning is messy!

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Not How I Envisioned Starting The Year

Got into my classroom today to start setting it up for the new school year, school begins in just over a week, and was informed that at least 10 of my class iBooks were stolen. The thieves also got all our HP laptops that were in carts (32) and even took one of the carts!

So now I have to re-think my year. I won’t be 1:1 anymore – more like 1:2 at best so that really changes how and what we can do even if the iBooks are mine to use consistently. I know many would love to have even 1:2 and we will still do good stuff, but I’m really trying to showcase 1:1 … so it is disappointing to say the least. I was able to do our 1:1 pilot because we had the 32 HPs … without them the iBooks may have to be available to check out school wide which is only fair.

Well, maybe some good will come from this. After all,

Learning is messy!

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Our Blog Video – How We Blog and Why, Is In Production

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Besides video-Skyping today with new friends in Florida we started doing the real work of making a video about how we blog. Last Friday we started brainstorming all the steps we go through and then breaking it down into scenes. Next we assigned each group a different part of our blogging procedure to video. Students are designing how they will “tell their part of the story” and then storyboarding and writing the narration. Everyone has to take part in the group … even out 2 non-english speakers will do some of the narration in english with help and support from their groups.

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As usual the biggest part of their grade is based on how they work in their group. From my experience when that is the main focus of their grade the most learning takes place. Why? Because when students cooperate and include everyone, everyone is involved in what they do and the thinking that goes into it. I always tell them that I might ask anyone in their group what they are doing and why … and they better be able to tell me … that forces them to stop and explain what they are doing and thinking and why they are doing it to each group member and include them. Students get to hear ALL the thinking of what is going into their project … and that is key. We even role play doing that. Kids feel good about being an involved part of the group AND being one of the people that sees to it that everyone understands. When it is humming along with that attitude going in the room – it reminds you why you teach.

My students were simply awesome today. They have to design their scene, storyboard it, write the dialog, practice the speaking parts, practice how they will show that on tape, and then when they are ready show what they are planning to the whole class for critique. We haven’t gotten to the “showing” part yet, but Wednesday some groups, maybe most, will be ready.

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Last year when we made the “Inclusion” video we followed many of the same steps but I probably shot half the video and did all the editing with input from the class (that was their first experience with video and they were 4th graders). We started learning more about editing with iMovie today using the famous “Dog Wash” tutorial that used to come with iMovie. The student laptops are so old they will only run iMovie2, but it works and all their almost 8 year old iBooks have Firewire so this should be fun. We plan on having each group shoot all their own video, edit it, do the voiceover narration and then run it back to video and probably my laptop for a final assemblage of all the scenes into a final product. Truly “MESSY” learning at its best.

Learning is messy!

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More Skype Connections

Today we video-Skyped with Paul Schwan’s fifth graders in Florida. Wes Fryer suggested we touch base with each other to work on some future projects … and today was the day. Dealing with the 3 hour time difference (or any time difference) is always part of the fun.

On a side note, last year when my class started Skyping here and there, we had to learn about time differences … “What do you mean its a different time there? . It became a teachable moment. We pulled up a sunlit earth map (follow the link then click on View Equirectangular Chart) that shows where the earth is light and dark at any given moment. We also shined our projector (the Sun) on our earth globe so they could see how it works that way (my ActivBoard comes in handy sometimes in ways I don’t think they envisioned). The upshot is … now they get it.

Paul and I connected just before his kids were going to recess, and just before my students came in to start the day. When a few of his kids heard me say that, they commented that we started our day kind of late (since they had already eaten lunch) Don’t worry … they’ll get it Paul! (see above for ideas)
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We introduced our classes to each other … discussed where we were and the make-up of our classes … and then just shared the kinds of things we were both working on and answered a few questions. At one point I had my kids raise their hands if they speak a language other than English and all but 3 hands went up. Paul’s kids raised their hands if they had been to a rocket launch at Cape Canaveral and hands went up all over his room. Later this year we are planning to share some of our learning this way with each others’ classes.

This was a new experience for Paul’s class, and you could tell by their reaction. What I think is really neat about the whole thing is that my class has done this enough now that its just something we do. Sometimes we go to the library or go online or go on a field trip or work on our reading or math … and sometimes we talk to other students 2500 miles away for free. Its just what we do.

UPDATE: Paul’s class brainstormed this great Venn diagram of our Skype conversation.
Learning is messy!

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Animal Ark “Design An Animal” Video Available

Here in the Reno, Nevada, area have a fantastic resource for studying animals, namely Animal Ark Wildlife Sanctuary. I learned about Animal Ark in 1993 when I first taught in a classroom here. I had the good fortune of having a student in my class whose parents train big cats for the movies. They had donated some lions to Animal Ark, and at their suggestion I made my first of many visits and field trips to this fantastic facility.

Last year we took a field trip there as part of our study of animals and specifically animal adaptations. We took photos which you can see on our class Flickr page.

Years ago when I was teaching a 4-5-6 Image class we were returning from a trip to Animal Ark when a student suggested we visit their web page. I replied that they didn’t have a web page … and the students decided we should make one for them … which we did. It won several awards, but it died 2 years ago of neglect … and the fact that Animal Ark has long since developed their own web site. Then wikis came along and so we made an interactive wiki web site for them.

Each group of 3 or 4 students in my 4th grade class last year made three wiki pages (over 20 total pages) about the kinds of animals at Animal Ark. They searched the web for the best sites they could find about the animals they were assigned, looking specifically for information about adaptations, how they obtained food and so on … all per our science standards. They also had to pick sites that were easy to read for students their age and they had to rank them from what they felt was the very best site they found to the next best … you get the idea.

Once that was done we used our site ourselves in the way it was actually intended. We used the sites to learn about animal adaptations and survival and then had to design an animal to live in the Great Basin Desert of Nevada where we live. Students had to design each part of their animal from eyes to feet or wings or nose to survive the climate and conditions here. We shot video of the process – and now it is finally posted and linked from the wiki page.
Check out the wiki page project and the video.

Learning is messy!

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Public Wants More Tech In Classrooms

eSchool News has an interesting article today: “Public wants more tech in classrooms”
Poll: Americans understand technology’s importance in schools, but disagree on approaches
By Meris Stansbury, Assistant Editor, eSchool News

The information in the article stems from a survey done in May of 7,000 Americans. The findings are good news if you support technology integration in schools.

Among the findings:

… Americans also believe that the U.S. education system should take a more global approach to its curriculum, the poll suggests. Fifty-four percent of Americans said schools should place a greater emphasis on teaching a global perspective.

… 59 percent of Americans agree that “information technology is a vital tool that can help educate our students by providing access to video and other dynamic content” and that more should be done to incorporate technology into the learning process.

The majority of respondents said technology is an important factor in connecting schools to their communities, as well as in leveling the playing field among more and less affluent schools by providing equal access to educational content.

On the downside they reported: … the poll also asked if “standardized testing is contrary to our education objectives, by placing too much emphasis on individualized testing and incentives to achieve test results that may not reflect knowledge.” While 45 percent of respondents said “yes,” 46 percent said “no.”

Read the article yourself – they also cite experts like Keith Krueger, chief executive of the Consortium for School Networking and Don Knezek, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education.

The links they provide include video of a panel discussion about the findings:

Video of panel discussion
http://www.463.com/Clients/Cisco/

Cisco Education
http://www.cisco.com/web/strategy/education/index.html

Consortium for School Networking
http://www.cosn.org

International Society for Technology in Education
http://www.iste.org

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Have You Used Every Tool In Your Toolbox? Did You Throw Away Those You Haven’t Used Yet?


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Originally uploaded by CieraH

Do you have tools you keep somewhere in your house? If you do, are there some of those tools you have never used? Say a socket for your wrench set that you’ve just never had reason to use?

How about kitchen utensils. Do you have some that maybe you got as a gift that you’ve just never used?

OK, one more question. Can you ever remember suddenly having a use for one of the tools or utensils and being glad you had it? I had a car once that I had for 4 or 5 years and had never used the jack, and obviously the previous owner hadn’t had reason to either because it was still wrapped in the original paper – but when I got a flat out in the middle of nowhere I was sure glad I had that tool (jack). I had no experience using the jack but the directions were there and I figured it out and I made it home safely.

What’s the point? The current Web 2.0 discussions have doubted the usefulness of applications like Flickr and Twitter (but others too). I’m not sure yet how I might ever use Twitter in my classroom … but I’m glad its “in my toolbox” because if I ever see a legitimate educational use for it I have it available to use. If I didn’t have that jack in my car when the flat occurred, or I didn’t even know there was such a thing, I would have been stuck.

Skype is a great example. Wes Fryer invited people about a year ago to join a Skypecast he was moderating about edtech. I had never used Skype, didn’t even have an account (I had used iChat once before). So I got an account, joined Wes’s Skypecast and another later in the summer. So lo and behold the situation with Celest came up and it literally occurred to me that instant that Skyping her into class just might work, just because it was in my toolbox. I hadn’t used Skype with my students before … hadn’t even been on Skype at school, but it became a possibility just because I knew about it and saw a potential use. I’m sure there are similar stories you could tell about using wikis or blogs or whatever. So whether its Twitter or Second Life or the next web 2.0 app that comes out, I just hope I have the time to put them in my toolbox so they are there when I might need them. I mean do you throw out the sockets for your wrench that you have never used?

So those that doubt the usefulness of playing with and learning these applications (Twittering our lives away) I say bunk. Its only a waste of time if it becomes too much of a distraction and negatively impacts your work. As professionals we are supposed to be able to moderate ourselves and make just those kinds of decisions.

Learning is messy.