Student Blogs: Day One

Well, today I introduced the student blogs to all of my classes.  What a whirlwind of a day, fairly painless as I look back over it…

Students came into class and signed out their iPods and went to the Edmodo online classroom.  It is becoming a standard part of their classroom routine to go straight to Edmodo.   I placed a link to their Edublogs sign in page on all of the class pages in Edmodo, this way the students do not have to type any URLs into the Safari browser, just click and go.

I popped open a page in my Class Orientation Easiteach file with an example of how their Edublogs log in looks.  All of my students know their school network log-ins, their Edublogs log-ins mirrors this format with one minor exception, which is not important in this context.  The point is the students were already familiar with their log-in information, this removes one obstacle in the process.

The students went to the Edublogs sign in page and typed in their Username, ready to proceed.  I had all of their Usernames and Passwords on a Google Doc, so I just read the generic passwords off to the students and they logged in to their account.  I should have just given all of the students the same generic password, it would have been easier.  I commented on this in an earlier post.

We had the Edublogs dashboard up on the Polyvision interactive whiteboard to show the students the process of changing their password and updating their profile.  They were shown how to type in the body of the blog using the “HTML” tab, as was discussed in this previous post.  Students jumped on the left dashboard buttons and began exploring the site.

The students were given the Blog Expectation sheets and the explanation of the assignment.  I chose a brief post where they are to introduce themselves along with a statement of what they would like to learn in class.  They were to pick two objectives on subject matter and two technology objectives and explain why the topics were of interest.  They have already done pieces of the assignment in class through our Edmodo discussion board and a self-reflection Google Form.  My objective is to just get them writing in an appropriate voice and published out on the Internet; consider this a “shakedown cruise” before we get into the curriculum.

Most of the students started their drafts and saved them online.  They are to direct message me in Edmodo when they are prepared to have their work graded.  They have a rubric of what will be looked at in the assessment process, including the appropriateness of language and grammar.  They were encouraged to have someone else proofread their post before  they formally submit it.  Hopefully they will learn how to write beyond texting and Facebook posts even though they are writing on the Web.

Overall, most students caught on quickly with the writing process on the iPods.  A few of the glitches occurred because of human error, either on my part or the students.  The students are great with adapting on the fly and working through issues we encounter as we try these new lessons in class.

A few students asked if there was an easier way to get into the blog so I explained about the free WordPress App and Blog Booster app for iPods.  One of my students is trying out apps at home on his Droid so he can use that device instead of his home computer.  I am interested in see how the apps work on that platform versus the iPods.

I plan on another post once the students complete this initial assignment, hopefully things will continue to go smoothly.

Posterous: I think I got it

Last week at the KTI Summit, I was shown how to use Posterous.com to create a social media blog feed.  It is easy to use and allows you to post in multiple ways.

I think I figured out how to use the web-clipping tool to work straight from my FireFox browser.  I am still having trouble using the Posterous add on that I downloaded for the main FF toolbar.  I could not get it to load into the toolbar.

I decided on plan B.  I went to this link in Posterous, and just did a click and drag of the icon to my toolbar.  You can see the image below.

Click and drag the icon to your toolbar.

Click and drag the icon to your toolbar.

Once you place it in your toolbar, all you need to do is find something you would like to write about.  Once you find something, highlight it and click on the button in your toolbar.  The highlighted image will be clipped and imported into your Posterous blog.  You have the option of adding your own comments, which is highly recommended. See the image below to see the tab in my toolbar.

Posterous Bookmarklet in toolbar

As I mentioned in a previous post, you can set up your account to automatically push your post out to other social networking sites you have.

Setting up your account this way, with the toolbar tab, allows you post in seconds.  NICE!

KTI 2010: Some things I learned last week, Edmodo

I presented on Edmodo last week at the KTI Summit, but that is not why I am posting this.  I worked formally and informally with many people at the summit on how to incorporate Edmodo in their classrooms.  We worked in the small group sessions, open labs, and even in the dining hall discussing uses and “how to’s.”

I will be using Edmodo as my main classroom platform this year in school.  The main page looks much like a Facebook page, which makes it easy for my students to navigate.  The mobile app for iPods looks like a Twitter feed, it is streamlined and easy to use on mobile devices.

The one plus I brought up in my presentation was the ease of setting up an account and classes.  In a matter of a couple of minutes, you can create an account and classes.  You give your students the class code and they create accounts or log in with existing ones, then they just type in the code and are in your class.  Even if you only run one discussion board a year, Edmodo is the tool to use.  You do not waste time importing students and setting everything up.

Now, back to what I learned at the Summit.  We played with the “public” tab in Edmodo, this allows for any note, file, link, etc. to be pushed out to a public URL, which can then be viewed without logging in to your classroom.  This feature gives me another tool with which to keep parents updated on class events. I can push out my class calendar and any file I feel parents need access to, while keeping other information secure from strangers; all with the click of a mouse.

Another idea we came up with was to group students into general classes, then create sub-groups by period and as needed.  This allows for discussion and interaction between students in different periods, but also gives the teacher the option to push out information to specific groups without everyone else getting it.  This functionality happens by just giving the students your classroom code so they can enroll themselves into your course, then with a couple clicks of your mouse, you can group them as you wish.

I embedded my 30box calendar, that is on the front page of my class wiki, into my Edmodo classrooms, this will allow me to update in 30boxes and show up everywhere I have it embedded.  I can also do the same with a Google calendar or any calendar that embeds in a web page.

Edmodo just enabled the use of folders on the site.  This new development will allow me to better organize all of my links and files.  Instead of having to build a master class for organizing my curriculum, I can just upload everything into folders with detailed names.  This will allow me to open and close information to students as needed, without any hassle.

Last, but surely not least, I have communicate on Twitter with one of Edmodo’s co-founders, Jeff O’Hara on numerous occasions.  He has always been helpful with advice and quick to respond to any questions I have had.  Jeff has also asked for feedback from my students and others to make Edmodo user friendly.  This rates high in my opinion and is the main reason I talk up Edmodo as often as I can.

I have used Moodle, BlackBoard, and Web CT, they work great, but for overall ease of use and free cost, Edmodo is the way to expand your classroom beyond the traditional walls and times.

KTI Summit 2010: Some things I learned last week, Posterous

I have been reflecting on my experiences last week at the Keystone Technology Integrator’s Summit at Bucknell University.  I picked up many new ideas and worked on refining some strategies and tools that I already use in my classroom.  Today’s topic will be Posterous.

I have heard of Posterous before, but never really worked with it.  Posterous is a blogging/social media site that allows you to post various forms of media online and coordinate your posts with other websites you may use, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Here is the link to their FAQ page.  When I got home from the summit, I created an account and in minutes I was up and running.  The site is extremely intuitive to set up.  I created an account, linked my other accounts to Posterous, updated my profile, and found friends who are already using the site.  I have not posted yet, since I have been getting caught up on life after being away for a week at the KTI Summit.  Kristin Hokanson showed in her preso at the summit how to I am looking into the mobile app for Posterous, it may be usable on my iPod, even though it is designed for an iPhone.  The Firefox Toolbar add on is also an item I am looking forward to using in the near future.  The concept is that you can instantly grab web-based articles and information and create a post to be pushed out to other sites.  I will discuss this tool more once I use it more often.

iPods: The new OS 4.0

I recently updated my iPods operating system to the new OS 4.0 and I have only one word to say…..UGH!!!!

The premise for the software upgrade is great, you will now be able to run several apps at the same time, one in the foreground and others in background, which could not happen with the old OS.  The issue is, previously when your iPod went into rest mode the battery life was fantastic, the iPod “slept” and the battery was not affected.  Now I have to re-teach myself a entirely new method of iPod upkeep.

Previously, I could just tap the “home” button, see yellow arrow in image below, to jump out of one app then choose another I would like to use.  I did not have to formally close the application I was using.

Yello arrow points at home button.

Yellow arrow points to home button.

The new software allows for apps to continue which means, even in “sleep” mode the iPods runs, thus draining the batteries.  At the KTI Summit last week, I discussed the issue with Dianne Krause, another iPod/iPhone guru and she assured me that others are having the same issue.  It was nice to know that it was not something stupid I was doing or that my iPod suddenly was having critical issues that were going to shorten its effective life span.

My short term fix to address this issue is to completely shut down the iPod when I am not using it, instead of letting it go to “sleep.”  I used this strategy for the last week or so and it works. The power button is on the image below, a pink arrow is pointing to it.

The pink arrow is pointing to the power button.

The pink arrow is pointing to the power button.

You may say, “So, what’s the big deal Einstein?”  Well, the big deal is, I have to manage iPods on a classroom scale, a cart of 25 which may be used 6 periods a day this upcoming year.  I need to find a stable process to keep the iPods charged and usable for every period.  I proved last year that once you ingrain a technology into your classroom culture, everyone becomes extremely dependent on it.

The long term fix is going to teach my students and myself to formally close out of each app after we are done using it.  After almost a year and a half of use, it will take some time to adjust.  I am hoping that by combining the two fixes I will have a system in place to keep the iPods consistently functioning and reliable for the upcoming school year.

Minor changes like this keeps my understanding of the need to constantly adapt clear.  It also lets me understand why others in education may be weary or leery of making the leap into technology with their students.  Change can be nerve-wracking, I am adapting well with technology, just please don’t ask me to change my pizza toppings.

KTI Summit 2010 part 1

This year was the second year I was able to participate in the Keystone Technology Integrator’s Summit at Bucknell University;  the first as a member of the Summit staff.  My goal after last year’s Summit as an attendee was to become a member of the staff…I achieved that goal.  I watched the long hours and extensive effort last year’s staff put in to make the event a success and wanted to contribute back into the system.  So as soon as last year’s summit was over I began prepping to make the staff.

I presented at various conferences about tools and methods I used in my classes and listened to the feedback, good, bad, indifferent, and ugly about how the presentations went, or were perceived to have gone by the attendees.  I refined and adapted materials accordingly, and kept up to date on the ever changing tools my students and I work with.  Sometimes my students learned of the changes first, and our roles of learner and mentor were reversed.  That’s is fine by me…in today’s world the roles need to be flexible.  I learned that from my PLN, which continues to grow.

As a member of Summit staff, we had many virtual planning sessions, formal via Elluminate, informal via Skype and e-mail.  The staff finally met face to face as an entire group the day before the summit.  There was buzz in the air as we greeted each other and started the on-site preparations.  I was expecting a long, exhausting week, that would grind me down, yet re-energize me from being surrounded with almost 100 innovators in education.  My expectations were correct.  Attendees and staff members alike pushed themselves over 12 hours a day in sessions, both formal and informal sharing ideas and building networks of support.

On top of all of this, my daughter needed medical attention back home.  She was fine in the end, but not being there for her added tons of stress and anxiety to my life.  I would like to thank the staff and attendees who helped support me through those two days.  My friends all jumped in to help me get through it, like I knew they would.  I also had many people who I hardly knew, or had not yet met come up to me and offer support.  I can honestly say, I was not too surprised by this, because of the nature of people who attend the summit, they are there because they care and support others.  Their efforts made a rough situation manageable and was I able to finish my work on staff.

We finished up the summit yesterday, Friday July 30,2010, and most if not all the people I talked with had mixed feelings.  It was great to be going back home to our families, but leaving such a dynamic event, tiring as it could be, and all of the people involved was a bit of a downer.

I hope I was able to contribute helpful information and methods of teaching and learning through my presentations.  I know I learned many new techniques to use in my classroom, even with tools I currently use.  I also strengthened my PLN and made many new friends, whom I am sure I will keep connected too, even if only virtually.  I am hoping to continue attending the KTI Summit in the future, and urge new and past KTI’s to continue their participation in the network.  With so many voices in the conversation, there is no obstacle we can’t overcome to successfully transform education to meet the needs of our current students and those who we will have in the future.