Total Technology Immersion

Review of article by:

Sandy Vaughn

ISTE Volume: 38 - Issue: 2 - September/October 2010

What an inspiring story from a low socio-economic area in rural Texas. To think that a modest community could be inspired to have 24-7 laptop availablility to students in 6-12 education is amazing. To realize such a grand vision in an environment where it might have seemed improbable beyond contemplation is astounding. The realization of their challenging vision sends a message to educators everywhere.

I find myself thinking of chaos theory. An odd segue I know. One of the core concepts of chaos theory is the butterfly effect. A small act in a remote location can initiate a grand progression of events. So, if a modest little town in rural texas can achieve total technology integration, why can't we all. Who are we to be brilliant? Actually, who are we not to be. The Floydada Independent School District (FISD) could be the butterfly that helps transform the technological impact on education accross a broad landscape.

I can see how leadership was critical to the implemntation of the programs intiated in FISD. What struck me about the section devoted to leadership was that it talked more about collaboration than anything else. The role of teacher aides received as much attention as teachers or the superintendent. I would be remiss to omit the value of the school board. When we dream big and get everyone to buy into a program, we can succeed.

How did they manage the expenses? From the article, it is not entirely clear to me. Perhaps that is where the visionary leadership really manifested itself.

I love this quote: "teachers have transitioned from the traditional sage on the stage to the more favorable guide on the side." This is a key aspect of kinesthetic learning. Students today frequently want to do it themselves. They are click happy; they learn by exploring, a form of play. Learning is play, the thread that runs so true. Applying technology integration to education by varies by subject.

Reading the teaching and learning component, I found myself reminded that educators need to keep in mind that the technological landscape is forever changing. So many different devices and applications are listed. In a couple years the list will change.

Reviewing the success of programs is important. The goals of improving test scores and student professional skills preparation is critical. In the end it is all about the students.

AVID Field Trip - Day 1

Early on a Thursday morning in October of 2011, I boarded a charter bus with a group of students from San Dieguito High School Academy (SDA). Located in coastal, Northern San Diego, CA, SDA is among the oldest schools in the San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD). Forty-eight students, four chaperones and a bus driver embarked on a memorable journey. Our trip would last three days and take us to nine plus different institutions of higher learning.

SDA has an interesting personality that is reflected in the students, teachers and administrators. I graduated from Torrey Pines High School (TPHS) which is just a few miles down the 5 freeway. Back in my day, TPHS and San Dieguito High School (SDHS) were primary rivals in sports and academics. I should clarify something; SDA and SDHS are the the same physical school, same place and same buildings. The school's character has changed over the years. I digress.

Back to the field trip, we hit the road in the twilight hours. Students had blankets and pillows to snuggle up with for the hours on the road to follow. The bus was a nice one with big padded seats and DVD screens.

We arrived at University of California, Irvine (UCI) after an uneventful and quiet trip. The students were sleepy I think.

UCI is a nice campus; it has a friendly ambiance and a slightly quirky character. The anteater, their mascot, and chant "Zot, Zot, Zot!"express this eccentricity. I have a fondness for UCI as I am a UC graduate myself as were my parents.

UCI has impressive buildings and open spaces with trees and fountains.

After the tour at UCI, we hit the road again heading for Cal State University, Long Beach (CSULB). Not a long drive by distance, but we hit some traffic through Orange County. Awake now, the students were more energetic than the earlier bus ride.

The CSULB campus greeted us with a prominent view. The fields spread out before us as our bus came to rest across the street. The athletic fields are extensive, capable of simultaneously serving many teams. across the fields in the distance is the exclamation point of the visual presentation. The pyramid shaped gymnasium is an impressive facility, inside and out.

The gymnasium audience seats retract for extra space during practices.

Students enjoyed listening to the tour guide's description of the campus.

Following CSULB, we headed for Pepperdine University. Located in beautiful Malibu, the trip took us on a long ride through Western Los Angeles. The third and last school of the day, Pepperdine offered astonishing views from the various patios on our tour.

Pepperdine is a prestigious university with a distinguished history. Character and life experience development are important aspects of the curriculum. There is a significant Christian influence on the fibre of the school. One campus requirement is attendance to convocation. Appealing to many faiths, the convocations address diverse subjects such as "how not to date a jerk".

Our tours concluded for the day, we boarded the bus again to go to the hotel. Riding to Ontario (CA not Canada) meant a long trip through rush hour traffic. Fortunately, we more than qualified to use the carpool lane.

The hotel greeted us with a couple of neat treats!

Custom SDA cookies and an artfully crafted swan-towel!

After the long day, we grabbed some dinner at he large mall accross the street and tucked in for the night. More colleges awaited us the next day!

iste Article: Scaffolding Math Learning with Spreadsheets

I was so excited about reading this article! The value of spreadsheets in industry, education, and life is profound. I have spent countless hours preparing useful information and tools for colleagues by using spreadsheets.

MS Excel and other spreadsheet programs are used extensively in in industry. An aptitude for using them will certainly benefit students in their professional careers.

This approach to mathematics exploration removes so much of the laborious elements. Allowing conceptual development is critical to turning rote plug and chug into true understanding of the ideas.

I went throught the examples listed in the articcle. Here is my spreadsheet:

Spreadsheet

It looks a bit gabled in google format, so I recommend downlaoding it and looking at it in your local spreadsheet application.

AVID Wants Tutors!

The Advancement Via Individual Determination tutoring program is a valuable element in education. Please visit my education site to learn more: 422-Hauck

Subject Line:280 Slides

Name and Link to Web 2.0 Presentation tool: http://280slides.com/

Summary:

1. Can be created online without the need for other software. Yes.

2. Hosting of presentation is easy, allowing easy access and sharing. Very easy.

3. Collaborative options for creating presentations. Multiple options for sharing.

4. Flexibility of use of media: photos, video, audio (does it record?). Yes – Pictures and movies.

5. Public versus private features. Is there a login for security? Yes.

6. Do you need an account? How old to you have to be? Do you need an email account? Yes.

7. Is there an education version? Will students see inappropriate ads on the site? No ads.

8. Can the teacher control accounts for his/her students? Multiple options for sharing accessibility.

9. Size of storage space provided. Do you have to pay to get more? Not sure

10. How long can you store on the site? Is there a time limit? Not sure

11. Ease of use. Can a student (or an adult) figure this out easily? Definitely

12. Can presentations be downloaded for backup? Yes

13. Other special feature you identified:.Ease of accessibility

Rating: 4 – good tool with some limitations

• Primary advantage was ease of access and use. Enrolling was a snap. Multiple options for sharing is also helpful. Formatting is crazy. Sometimes bold does not mean bold. I started the project thinking, "this is so easy" and left thinking why doesn't it just do what it is supposed to? So much of digital use is just dealing with frustration.

• Sharing options include Publishing to SlideShare, Emailing, and Linking.

My Presentation:

• http://280slides.com/Viewer/?user=107636&name=422-Web2.0_Exploration-Hauck&fullscreen