New semester, new focus

The new semester has started and with that a new area of exploration that I am figuring out. The main focus the last few months has been actual classroom technology that can be used in the hands of students, as well as teachers. I will still address some of those areas, as I am now the proud owner of a EEE pc. My wife was nice enough to get me one for my birthday this past January. So far so good with the little machine. I will write a more comprehensive review later in the semester as I am using the machine for a number of different tasks. Mostly school work and planning for the class that I am teaching this semester.

This semester I am focusing on content management systems, mostly Joomla. We are using that CMS as a gateway for the Adventure Learning project I am working on in a group. Our focus is using the content presented in a pre-service teacher class and moving it into a hybrid on-line, classroom environment. Working with Joomla is proving to be quite a challenge for me. I think I really need more of a plan for the whats and the hows of the project. I need to formulate a better plan for the lessons and see how the technology can better enhance what it is that we are trying to teach to the pre-service teachers and give them an experience that they haven't been through before.

I have also started a twitter feed. It is integrated underneath my profile.

District response to last posting

Big Spring School District

Just put a stamp of sucker across my forehead.

(directed to from Digg)

Mark one for the closed-source (minded)

Ha: High Schooler Gets Detention for Using Firefox?

This is a sad day for the open-source movement in the classroom. Well, not only for open-source, but for allowing the student's to use tools to get work completed. What ever happened to meaningful learning and an engaged classroom/student.

FresnoBee.com: Local: Kid-size computers

Apparently, I was on to something with my tech purchase ideas.

FresnoBee.com: Local: Kid-size computers

Actually there has been a lot of items from gizmondo about the Eee pc and XO laptop. I guess an article in the Wall Street Journal just slammed the XO. It sounds like the power of the purchase will determine the winner. At this point, with the XO only available to the US and other "developed" nations for another month, the little Asus machine will win.

Source Material and the "Remix"

I was subbing the other day and one of the English teachers was talking about how to convey mood and setting in his film and media class. About that time I was setting up my Youtube account so I could embed my "How to request a Sub" video. I came across the "Scary Mary" Mary Poppins trailer. At first, I thought, "That is so neat." I then thought about the mood that had to be set up in order for the video to be effective. In the school all of the students are taught about using iMovie, so couldn't creating a new trailer for a movie be away to show how well the students understand creating mood and even evoking emotion. The other video clip is a remix of The Incredibles, which I think is even better than the Mary Poppins.


The Incredibles Recut (sorry, the person turned off embedding)

Scary Mary

From the Youtube Description:

This contains the musical piece "A Violent Attack" composed by Caine Davidson for the film 'An American Haunting,' "Stay Awake" written by Richard and Robert Sherman for Disney's 'Mary Poppins,' and stock sounds from iMovie.

Photo Video Movie

So here is my photo video for the class assignment. I had a different version that I turned in with a different picture in place for "Step 3," but I didn't like it so much. I found a clip from the Internet Archive that I was able to use and add in to the video. I actually quite enjoyed making the video. I used Audacity for the audio to combine all of the pieces that I recorded and the background music. I wish I had more time to work on other little projects, maybe over the holiday break.

How to Request a Substitute

Open Source Options for Eee PC

Ubuntu 7.10 Gibbon swings on the Asus Eee >> Mixed Signals >> Rupert Goodwins's Blog at ZDNet UK Community

This guy put Ubuntu on an Eee Pc. Some issues did need to be resolved with the wireless and what not, nothing more than what would happen on a "normal" computer when loading up Ubuntu.