So what is the purpose of this site? It's simple. We want to share how technology with people quickly. Each video on the site will be under ten minutes. This is about the same length as my attention span and perfect for showing at the end of a staff meeting. Of course there are some sites like this out there already and we will link to similar sites on the homepage.We may end up having a few different videos on a topic e.g. Beginner's guide to Twitter and Advanced use of Twitter, but generally it will be short and simple.
Anyone can upload a video, and you can do this in two ways. Either create a video and upload it to Youtube, Vimeo, Viddler etc and send me the link or email me and I'll give you access to add it to the blog yourself. It all depends on your level of WordPress knowledge really. Obviously some schools have some of these sites banned, so we will try and embed a video from one site and provide a link to others too.
To make a video you will need either some screen capture software such as Camtasia or Jing or just use a webcam or video camera. You could be out and about filming, it doesn't need to be a video of a computer screen.
the videos can be for 'free' software or for paid-for content, however…they can not be a sales pitch. If I deem the video to be more of an advert than a how-to guide, I will remove it. It should focus on how the software works and how it can be applied in the classroom.
You may use these videos wherever you like, in a staff meeting or when working with teachers etc but please just leave us a comment to let us know that they were useful.
Henrico County Schools System has adopted the TPACK as the Framework for professional development and 21st Century Learning in the Henrico County Schools System. Henrico County is one of the largest and earliest districts to pioneer and implement a one-to-one initiative. They have adopted this model as its conceptual framework to guide their progress towards the 21st Century Learning. The following video will set the stage to provide insight into how this school district uses technology for relevant and real-world learning.
"Alan November is recognized internationally as a leader in education technology. He began his career as an oceanography teacher and dorm counselor at an island reform school for boys in Boston Harbor. He has been a director of an alternative high school, computer coordinator, technology consultant, and university lecturer. As practitioner, designer, and author, Alan has guided schools, government organizations and industry leaders as they plan to improve quality with technology."
This is his address to TEDxNYed.
"Being able to solve everyday complex problems through communication and cooporation with others are the skills that students need to learn and practice to prepare for the future. Communicating effectively and efficiently with diverse audiences and solving everyday problems are important in a society that is moving at a rapid pace in a Global Market. The ability to solve everyday complex problems is an important and necessary skill for students today. Problem based learning (PBL) provides a learning environment students require to resolve everyday problems while applying previous and learning new knowledge. Cooperative learning, as a part of PBL, allows students the opportunity to communicate ideas and knowledege. As a teacher it is also important to communicate effectively with students to guide the learning process as well as model how to question and reason through a problem. The web-enhanced 3 part seminar series is designed to review and apply the basics of PBL to allow you to create a PBL unit to use within your own classroom."
Henrico County Schools System has adopted the TPACK as the Framework for professional development and 21st Century Learning in the Henrico County Schools System. Henrico County is one of the largest and earliest districts to pioneer and implement a one-to-one initiative. They have adopted this model as its conceptual framework to guide their progress towards the 21st Century Learning. The following video will set the stage to provide insight into how this school district uses technology for relevant and real-world learning.
"Working in technology administration, I have always bowed down to uniformity. I can't help it…it's the way we were all taught in the technology industry. It was routine and comfortable. Everyone got the exact same computer with the same image. Everyone had to login to active directory. Security groups were applied with abandon. I wax nostalgic just thinking about it.Fear of BYOD
But those days are coming to an end. This is due to a huge number of factors including ridiculously tight school district budgets, much lower computer prices and cloud computing. I believe more and more schools will soon adopt bring your own device (BYOD) as a matter of economic necessity and recognition of educational potential."