Ahhhh! Home! Had a good week and travel filled with stories. I have a couple of post-course assignments to do but I'm pulling a Scarlett and thinking about that tomorrow.

Audacity

Today in class, we played with Audacity.  It was so much fun!  It enables you to record and cut lines of sound.  We added a second line of dialogue to a pre-recorded one-sided conversation.  Some of the people in the class came up with some really funny things 

http://bb7.liberty.edu/@@/D629E2C1FE70C6901384F5375BEC9B16/courses/1/EDUC730_392_201130/db/_23397301_1/AR%20group%20recording.wav

I don't teach Communication Arts (right now) but I can imagine some fun activities using Audacity to write dialogue.  The kids could record their side of a conversation, then transcribe it, adding quotation marks and other punctuation where needed.  Dr. H said there are programs that will transcribe for you as well. 

I'm thinking of my MAP-A kids, wondering if there is some activity I could develop using Audacity.  I'll definitely keep it in mind as I see what kiddos I have in class and what curriculum I have to cover. 

Tomorrow, all the groups give their presentations.  There are going to be some really good ones, I believe.  My group is doing Augmented Reality.  You know, the line on a football game?  How about the Wii?  The future is definitely pointed this way.  My section is on field trips.  Kinda ironic, considering I've been on very few in my teaching career, and most of those were to the prison! 

Here are some other things we've done.  Hope the links work!
http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=108539

http://bb7.liberty.edu/@@/D629E2C1FE70C6901384F5375BEC9B16/courses/1/EDUC730_392_201130/db/_23397494_1/instructional%20video%201.avi

This is my lesson plan.  I used Zunal to write it:

http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=108591

I'm sure I'll have to polish it when I get home and see the materials we use.

After class tomorrow I'm heading west.  Its' been an interesting, valuable week, but I'll be glad to be back at home.  I miss my house, my bed, my stuff (especially my Keurig), my pups, my cat, and most of all, my husband and family.

 I guess I'm going to go find some supper.  Weight Watchers goes back full-tilt when I'm home, too.

Webquest

http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=108591

Wednesday

Today was a very enlightening day...and very scary!  We were given the opportunity to sit in on a Dissertation Defense.  The poor gal who was the future doctor was "lucky" enough to have a couple dozen post-grad students sit in on her defense.  I know, for me, the whole dissertation process is enough to make me quake with fear... and I suspect many of my classmates feel the same way.  In one way, observing was helpful, because now I have an idea what the process looks like.  I've seen the conference table, the huge screen for the powerpoint, the podium, and the conference call phone.  On the negative side, I've heard the questions the faculty and committee asked the candidate.  I've learned that it's vital to be intimate with your research and statistics you've gleaned from your work.  I've learned to wear comfortable shoes, because the candidate stands the whole time.  I've learned to bring food, especially if your defense comes over lunchtime.  I've learned that as scary as it is, everyone in the room has gone through the whole thing before you, and when you are done, you will have earned a place among their ranks.

So, it's really hot here in Lynchburg, as it is across the nation.   Here's a cartoon I found that made me smile:

All About Me

I've had a stressful evening.  I am using a borrowed laptop, and it is having power issues.  I'm holding my breath hoping I get this online before something tragic happens. 

Today in class, I was constantly amazed.  I think I'm an up-to-date grandma, but had no idea things like Endnotes and Freeplay Music existed.  Since my new classroom has both student computers and a projector, I'm thinking of gorgeous movies I can make showing DNA structure and photosynthesis!

We're supposed to post our movies.  Here goes nothing.....

First Day of Class

I just got back from the first day of the Technology in Education class.  Oh my.... I thought I was fairly tech savvy, and maybe I am in my Tinytown, Missouri...but there is so much out there I was completely ignorant of!  I'm in a group which is assigned to do a presentation on Augmented Reality.  I didn't know what it even was.  I did a quick Google search on the topic, and I guess I do know what it is to some degree.  You know the yellow line they show across the field on a televised football game?  Augmented Reality.  You know how they make the puck on a hockey game so you can see it when it zooms at a zillion miles per hour down the rink?  Augmented Reality.  (okay, I'll admit I didn't know about the hockey one....my husband told me...that's okay!  Use your resources, even if you're married to them)
So my part of the presentation is "field trips".  I'm thinking this may be fun!  Who doesn't like field trips?  And what schools can afford them these days?

During his introduction, Dr. Holder explained that the reason why George Bush didn't add technology to the original NCLB was because there was no proof that technology enhanced learning.  This was mildly startling to me since my school district is big on technology.  I guess that omission has been cleared up.  This made me think of another educationally-related topic that I've  been thinking about lately:  Co-teaching.  What little research I've done on the matter, mostly for a previous class, indicated that most people would say that Co-teaching is an effective strategy for helping students, both disabled and non-disabled, achieve success in the general education curriculum.  However, I have found little in the way of empirical data to proof this.  Makes me wonder what other assumptions of mine are wrong and unfounded.

Another point Dr. Holder made was the sad fact that states and districts throw money at technological additions to their schools, spend a minute showing the teacher how to use them, but neglect to show the teachers how to implement them in a valuable learning manner.  I thought of the technology I've been introduced to over the years only to vanish when a new toy comes out.  I went to an inservice a few years back on some kind of self-contained gizmo with a keyboard that communicated to the teacher's computers.  Some new, expensive gadget.  I've never seen on in action and have no idea if they are still around.

My building has Mobis and clickers, and I've been in classrooms where they are being used.  I've also been in classrooms where the teacher was trying so hard to get them to function without success that they have given up and gone back to the chalkboard. 

I'm looking forward to the rest of the week.  We're going to get to play with some programs.  Should be fun!

more technology

I was telling my husband about my blogosphere adventure.  He asked me if I remembered the latest technology to grace the Henry household.  We just bought a wireless laser printer.  It's amazing!  We each have our own computer (in the same room, actually) and one printer.  It was a mess.  Whichever computer was the main server one had to be on (his) or I couldn't print.  Now I can print as much as I need to regardless of his computer's status.  Too cool.

This got us to talking about how computers have changed just within the last fifteen years or so.  We remember buying upgrades or additions to the computer and having to make sure the little switches on the back of the thing were in the right place.  Plug n play seemed like the ultimate in convenience when it came out! 

My technology addictions spread to the kitchen as well. Here are some things I have that I didn't when I was a kid:  dishwasher, food processor, ninja food prep that will make snow (really!), keurig coffee maker (my fave!), food dehydrator, kitchenaid stand mixer, and toaster that poaches eggs, too.  That's just a few. 

I heard the other day that the computing power on Apollo 13 was roughly equivalent to the computing power on a digital watch.  I wonder if that's true.  Maybe I'll google it and find out.