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Ken Fuller

5 Useful Apps for Learning Spanish with iTunes - 3 views

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    makeuseof.com reviews tons of alternative Mac applications - so save those pennies and visit this site
Ken Fuller

How to Control Follower Posts on Twitter | eHow.com - 0 views

  • Feeling like your signal-to-noise ratio on Twitter is a little off?
  • Several Twitter applications include features that allow you to "mute" certain people or topics, taking some of the noise out of your stream.
  • Manage your feed by creating Twitter lists.
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  • Read your lists rather than your main feed on the Twitter homepage.
  • Mute certain users, hashtags or types of posts with a Twitter application that incorporates this feature.
  • Google Chrome extension Proxlet
  • Plume and TweetCaster also have a muting or "zipping" feature
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    Practical tips for viewing the tweets that matter most.
Ken Fuller

rich Internet applications | Adobe Flash Player system requirements - 0 views

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    Download 10.1.82.76 the latest version of Flash Player for all platforms.
Ken Fuller

Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org - 3 views

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    Blogger Miguel Guhlin's site has information on PLOs, Web 2.0 applications and their lesser known alternatives. A good site to subscribe to (RSS) if you use a heavy dose of Web 2.0 tools in your coaches' toolbox.
Ken Fuller

20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have -- THE Journal - 3 views

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    This one is an oldie but a goodie. I use it whenever I work a new group of learners or learners that are new to educational technology. It's an easy read and can be modified to reflect the rapid changes in technology.
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    Yes, I agree with much of the article and the skills mentioned, but at first glance, it's quite daunting. You're talking about skills that, for the average educator, takes years to acquire and with which to become comfortable. That is something we ,as integration specialists,s need to keep in mind.
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    Absolutely Sui! I think TISs face the same challenge as classroom teachers. How do we hook them? For people like you and I it's an intrinsic motivation to grow our knowledge base and fine tune our craft. Once a teacher told me, "there are three kinds of teachers, those that were born to do it, those that can be taught to do it and those that will never get it." I want to believe that the overwhelming majority of teachers fall into that second category. So, back to how do we hook them. I agree with Bill that Atomic Learning is woefully underutilized. One way to get the teachers hooked and increase the likelihood that AL is used is to adopt AL as our launching point for developing all PLOs. Take a look at the AL Toolkit http://movies.atomiclearning.com/k12/atomictoolkit. Assuming that we have done our due diligence and prepared our teachers to register for AL and view relevant tutorials prior to the PLO. Use the toolkit materials to "promote" our PLOs. Encourage teachers to subscribe to the AL newsletter and our web site blog feeds. Design PLOs with their work in mind - flipcharts using upcoming unit actiities, etc. I think it was Kathy Shrock that said something like, when teaching an unfamiliar application use a familiar task and when teaching an unfamiliar task use a familiar application. We also need to change the mindset so that the "learning" is their bag of bricks to carry and that we are here to coach, and support them to that end.
Siu Connor

KU Matrix Learning Games Initiative - 1 views

shared by Siu Connor on 09 Nov 09 - Cached
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    he MATRIX Project (http://matrixlearning.org) provides resources to improve middle school reading and mathematics achievement through the development of interactive educational games that use PDAs, iPods and video cameras, along with web-based resources including Quantum Simulations' online Artificial Intelligence Assessors and Tutors. The games can be played on a handheld or computer using the Flash Player™ application. Download the newest Flash Player for free, if you don't already have it. Send Us Feedback on the games, and check out games developed by our partners at New Mexico State University.
Ken Fuller

Unexpected Learnings: BackNoise Can Be Toxic | New Media Atlanta - 0 views

  • The first speaker was quite good, but he kept referring to the “backnoise.”  I didn’t know what this meant, but a quick check of Twitter and Facebook led me to the BackNoise website.  From what I can determine, BackNoise is the equivalent of passing notes or whispering in the back of the classroom, except anyone who wants to participate or listen in can do so.  Someone had set up a conversation area on BackNoise for New Media Atlanta, and people in the audience were typing in comments during the day that others could read in real time. 
    • Ken Fuller
       
      Just what is backchanneling?
  • One thing I learned yesterday was how the existence of BackNoise can change the direction of an event in real time.  This sounds like a good thing, and it partly is.
    • Ken Fuller
       
      The intended use and the ultimate outcome could be worlds apart; read on.
  • after lunch, the lights in the auditorium were low and several people posted on BackNoise that they were falling asleep, so the organizers turned the lights back up.  When a panel discussion and the keynote speaker got good reviews, they let those sessions run long (which meant the last session of the day didn’t happen, which would have upset me if I were that presenter, but it appears the audience got what they wanted).  And there were enough gripes about the “no beverages in the room” policy that the organizers had a shipment of bottled water brought in and added a break in the afternoon.  All good stuff!
    • Ken Fuller
       
      Unfortunately, BackNoise, the backchannel service being used, allowed anonymous posts. In this case anonimity allowed the participants to take cheap shots at the presenters.
    • Ken Fuller
       
      Getting feedback from the participants allowed the organizers to "cater" to the needs or interests of the participants. For example, improving the lighting, or being more flexible with restrictions, no beverages in the conference room.
    • Ken Fuller
       
      Real-time gathering or dissemination of information can be good feedback for the presenters/organizers.
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  • A majority of the comments were just plain mean in an irrelevant way – not constructive criticism, but rude, boorish, even vicious remarks. A few people commented about this rudeness on BackNoise and were immediately scolded with responses like “If you don’t want to read snarkiness, you don’t have to stay on this site!”  They were right.  I became more and more dismayed as I stayed on the site, and I kept telling myself I should leave (and maybe actually pay attention to the presentations – what a concept!).  But it was like catching the first few minutes of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” or trying to eat just one Frito…you know it’s going to be a junky trainwreck but you just can’t help yourself and you can’t stop.
    • Ken Fuller
       
      The one and only person to post their handle was shouted down by the "crowd think". See Philip Zombardo on TED.com on the effect of power on one's actions. http://www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil.html
    • Ken Fuller
       
      The remarks became more critical, each one seemingly worse than the previous remark.
  • That’s the silver lining in what became, for me at least, a big, ugly, gray cloud of negativity.  As the second speaker started, people on BackNoise started bashing his PowerPoint slide design, and then his content.  His content was pretty basic – I wasn’t learning anything new – so I distracted myself by continuing to watch the conversation on BackNoise.  It degenerated from bad to worse.  As the day went on, there were some posts of substance, such as people saying that they wanted more “how to” information than they were getting.
  • Only one person put his real name up, and pretty soon the masses bored of picking on the speakers and turned on him for awhile.  He was able to defend himself in a snarky (and presumably respected-by-this-crowd) way, so that mood passed.  But you could see the “crowdthink” forming right before your eyes – if one or two people designated a presenter “good” or “bad” early on, the vast majority of other posts would follow along in that vein.  And they’d almost try to one-up each other with the meanest and wittiest observations they could think of.
  • At one point, I had Twitter open on one browser (using the designated #nmatl hashtag) and BackNoise open on another browser.  The difference between th
    • Ken Fuller
       
      The last speaker got wise and projected the live BackNoise feed for all to see. The perception of no longer being anonymous appeared to change the tone of the conversation.
    • Ken Fuller
       
      Following another source (Twitter) the feedback was much more positive or just about fact finding.
    • Ken Fuller
       
      ...the "crowd" had been very critical of a speaker who had the misfortune of seeing the comments as well.
  • Here are my takeaways from New Media Atlanta:
    • Ken Fuller
       
      Questions to consider after this experience: Do you put a no laptop/mobile device policy in place? Should you continue to read the backchannel feedback, looking for ways to improve your presentations and better meet the needs of your audience? What positive/negative affect might that feedback have on you as a presenter? Are you sure the conference is a fit for you? What new information might you take away from it? Do you know your audience?
  • If you were reading Twitter, you’d get a very different (and more positive) view of the conference than if you were reading BackNoise.
  • The last speaker
  • instead of using a PowerPoint presentation, he put the live BackNoise conversation feed up on the screen behind him as he spoke.  The tone improved, partly because Chris was really good
  • I’m sure having the comments be so very public made people behave a bit better as wel
  • e two was significant – the majority of tweets were either positive or simply restated facts from the presentations. 
  • I cringed for one of the previous speakers when two separate people posted how much her presentation had sucked, and this was right up on the screen for the entire audience (including her) to see.
  • I was blissfully ignorant about BackNoise.
  • I’m truly nervous about presenting, at least to a group with laptops or smartphones in front of them
  • should I read the BackNoise chatter about my presentation afterwards or not?  If people have constructive criticisms that can help me improve my talk and give the audience more of what they want next time, that’s great!  But I don’t think I could handle people joking about or making fun of the way I look, the way I pronounce words, or other personal details that are completely irrelevant to the topic at hand.  That kind of feedback would probably make me a worse speaker – more tentative, less sure of myself, and less likely to want to present at all.  Come to think of it, could BackNoise have a dampening effect on professionals being willing to share their knowledge in general?
  • The negativity on BackNoise had a very large and detrimental impact on how I viewed the event. 
  • the conference and the speakers were not bad at all – in fact, they were quite good.  The problem was that there were too many advanced people in the audience, like me, whose expectations didn’t match what was being presented.
  • I don’t often bring a laptop to conferences, and now I see why.
  • too distracting.  It’s not just BackNoise, it’s Twitter, other social media sites (ironically), checking email, etc
  • anonymity tends to bring out the worst in peopl
  • How can you justify paying good money to attend an event and then not only fail to pay attention to the content, but instead spend the day trying to entertain people you don’t even know at others’ expense?
  • I have the naïve optimism to ask anyone and everyone who’s attending a conference or event to do two things: If you use BackNoise or similar sites, keep your comments constructive and focus on the venue or content rather than making personal attacks or jokes about fellow human beings. Have the guts to use your name when you have suggestions as to how things can be improved rather than remaining anonymous.  That would be the mature, professional thing to do.
    • Ken Fuller
       
      Things to consider when using some form of backchanneling as a presenter or participant: Find the right application for the venue, audience, purpose Encourage participants to focus on the content, contribute constructive comments to the conversation and use your name or handle
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    Blogger Stacy Williams writes about the good, the bad, and the ugly of "BackNoise" [backchannel]
Ken Fuller

20 Ways to Use Edmodo - Eventbrite - 1 views

  • Edmodo has thousands of uses for the teacher, student, and administrator. In this webinar we will focus on 20 of them that produce results for both student engagement and teacher connection. Each use will be a practical application of Edmodo that has been observed in actual classrooms around the world.
    • Ken Fuller
       
      Overview of Eventbrite uses for Edmodo in the elementary classroom.
Scott Nourse

More Schools Embrace the iPad as a Learning Tool - NYTimes.com - 0 views

  • A growing number of schools across the nation are embracing the iPad as the latest tool to teach Kafka in multimedia, history through “Jeopardy”-like games and math with step-by-step animation of complex problems.
  • replace textbooks; allow students to correspond with teachers, file papers and homework assignments; and preserve a record of student work in digital portfolios.
  • extend the classroom beyond these four walls
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  • takes away students’ excuses for not doing their work.
  • e traditional scope of homework: go home, read, write,” he said, referring to its video and multimedia elements. “I’m expecting a higher rate of homework completion.”
  • spending money on tablet computers may seem like an extravagance.
  • invest in them before their educational value has been proved by research.
  • , is advancing its effort to go paperless and cut spending. Some of the tablets are being used for special education students.
  • “IPads are marvelous tools to engage kids, but then the novelty wears off, and you get into hard-core issues of teaching and learning.”
  • versatile tool with a multitude of applications, including thousands with educational uses.
  • laud the iPad’s physical attributes,
  • light weight
  • “There is very little evidence that kids learn more, faster or better by using these machines,”
  • simulate a piano keyboard on a screen or display constellations based on a viewer’s location
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    Pros and cons
Scott Nourse

More Schools Embrace the iPad as a Learning Tool - NYTimes.com - 1 views

  • The Virginia Department of Education is overseeing a $150,000 iPad initiative that has replaced history and advanced-placement biology textbooks at 11 schools. In California, six middle schools in four cities (San Francisco, Long Beach, Fresno and Riverside) are teaching the first iPad-only algebra course developed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  • converted an empty classroom into a lab with 36 iPads — named the “iMaginarium”
  • uestion whether school officials have become so enamored with iPads that they have overlooked less costly options
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  • working with textbook publishers on instructional programs and sponsoring iPad workshops for administrators and teachers
  • iPad algebra program in California
  • n Virginia, Pearson, an educational publisher, added iPad-specific features to existing American and world history programs, including an application for “Jeopardy”-like games and functions that enable students to take on-screen notes in the margins, bookmark pages and zoom in for close-ups. Pearson will develop iPad versions for all of its new instructional programs for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and begin offering iPad versions for 30 top-selling math, reading, literature, social studies and science programs in April.
  • “Traditionally, so much of art history is slides on a screen,” he said. “When they were able to manipulate the image themselves, it came alive.”
  • iPads would also save money in the long run by reducing printing and textbook costs; the estimated savings in the two iPad classes alone are $7,200 a year.
  • eplacing math textbooks with digital versions
  • 60 percent of the high school’s literature reading list from iBooks free.
  • “We are talking about changing the way we do business in the classroom.”
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    part 2
Ken Fuller

Lotus Launcher Android application - AppStoreHQ - 0 views

  • Overview Details News Reviews FREE Downloads: 10,000-50,000 Download Download Lotus Launcher Enter your email address below to receive a link via email. Visit this link from your Android device to download this app from the Android Market.
  • Description
  • Give the possibility to store your login information of your Lotus Notes webmail. Go to preferences form and define your own parameters.Web site : http://android.miny.frSee full change log on web site.
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    Android App to access Lotus iNotes. I had a teacher ask if she could access her district email from her new Droid Incredible smartphone. I did a little Googling - lotus webnotes droid incredible app - and came up with this little gem. 10-50k downloads is a fair amount and it has an average of 4 stars. For iPhone users it's a little easier. From the iPhone type in notes.buffaloschools.org in your browser of choice. You should see the same page that you would see if logging in from your desktop. Login, and voila!...cool little interface complete with calendar and contacts.
Ken Fuller

facebook_guide_teachers.pdf (application/pdf Object) - 1 views

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    Some of the directions apply to an older version of Facebook. I will try to find something more current to bookmark. The advice that the author provides is good though. Take a kook at it. I just created a new "professional use only" FB account. I can email the address to you.
William Russo

Cloud Trip / Cloud Computing / Web Applications - 1 views

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    If you're not up on Cloud Computing, this site provides TONS of information and sites to visit to see the cloud in action. It's one of my absolute favorite sites to see what's on the horizon for cloud computing (no pun intended).
William Russo

10 Tools for (20)10 - 9 views

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    This is an OMG great collection of web 2.0 tools...stunning stuff...also look for my bookmark regarding "cloud" applications for more stuff like this
Ken Fuller

The Great Mac OS X Freeware List | MacApper - 2 views

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    The best thing about free is...well it's free. I'm still a die-hard Mac fan so I had to post this. When I find one for PCs I'll post it. As one commentator pointed out, this list was compiled awhile ago.
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    Thanks for posting this list, Ken. I'm downloading some of the stuff to test-drive right now!
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