Mr Bass Online

I remember when I walked into my very first classroom as a teacher. I had just been hired and the principal took me down two flights of stairs and opened up a darkened room. In a few short months, this would be my new domain. I was excited and nervous but also felt up to the challenge of teaching 7th graders English. During that summer I spent a fair amount of time in that classroom so that on day one, everything would be perfect. And Oh, it was! The desks were in rows, the whiteboard stocked with the standard blue, black, red and green Dry Erase markers and the walls embellished with posters that I was sure would inspire my students to become the writers and readers that I would make them. It was perfect.

Soon the first day of school rolled around and in rolled the kids. No longer was anything perfect. Suddenly I had 150 students that I would be instructing, all of them seemingly put in my classroom to challenge the new 21 year old teacher. I got through my first hour without incident and then, during passing time, my principal came to tell me that there would be a change. I would also be teaching a senior English class as well as a 10th grade class. Suddenly, on the first day or school, as a brand new teacher, I went from having one prep to three with students ranging from 7th grade to 12 grade (one of which was 20 years old, 8 months younger than me). Needless to say, I don’t think I was a very good teacher that year. I spent most of my time trying to stay one step ahead and rise above the chaos of my life.

One of the things that I took to doing that year was making lists. It’s the only way I could keep anything straight. My strategy was to have a folder for each of my classes where I would make a list of things I had to do that day. It’s been quite a few years since that first day in the classroom and my needs are quite a bit different now, but I’m still a listmaker. Instead of folders and paper, I’ve turned to the internet and the myriad of tools available there.

Here are some where I’ve found success.

• RememberTheMilk.com
• Google Tasks – part of Gmail.
• Toodledo
• Ta-Da List

There are many more task list creators out there. Some, like the ones above, are completely online (which I prefer), but there are also plenty of programs that could be downloaded.

There are so many facets to our daily lives that sometimes it helps to force a little order into the chaos. I have found that lists help me do that. If you have other strategies that you’d like to share, email me. I’m always interested in conversations around getting more done faster.

Cross posted at Tech4Practice.

Google has given educators a number of tools for use in the classroom, but their main purpose is still to find information through their search engine. They can find information for us in seconds, but so many times that information is spread across so many different sites that deciphering it becomes the real challenge. Google Squared (http://squared.google.com) is an attempt to make those search results a little more usable. When doing a search in Google Squared, the search term pulls specific information that it sees as relevant and puts it into a grid with categories to organize the information. Here is an example of one I did on British poets.

If you visit the site, you’ll see that the search has pulled the name, picture, description, date of birth, etc. into a grid allowing students to compare the poets in a meaningful way without have to visit site after site. They can then use their critical thinking skills to decide what information is important and what is not. They can even change the categories, share their “squares” or export them to a separate spreadsheet program. Finally, these “squares” can be saved as a webpage, exported to a spreadsheet program or simply save it for future use. It uses Google’s searching techniques, but organizes the information differently. We still need to help students learn how to search for relevant information, but the layout of Google Squared lets students sort that information in a different, and possibly more meaningful, way.

Google Squared
British Poets Save Square
Filmmakers Square

Cross posted on Northeast Middle School Friday Flyer

Web 2.0 has been a buzzword for the last few years and none of the tools that I’m about to tell you about are necessarily new, however, sometimes it’s good to create a list for teacher use. While there are 10 tools here, I don’t mean to make this a top 10 list. Think of it more like a cross section of some of the tools that are out there. So, here, in no particular order are 10 Web 2.0 tools to engage students and make your life easier.

1. Wallwisher – Basically, this is like an online bulletin board that doesn’t require a login for students or teachers to leave a comment, message, image, music or links.

Possible uses:

• Use it as a parking lot for collaborative groups or professional development
• Post assignments
• Student reflection of an activity or daily learning
• Question forum
• Parent sign up as field trip chaperones, sign up to bring things to a party, etc.
• Interest inventory or assessment of prior knowledge

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2. Etherpad – Etherpad was a startup company that was purchased by Google last year. Google decided that they would release the code used to create Etherpad as an open source project for anyone to use. So, Etherpad.com is no longer in existence. But, there are a number of people who have taken the open source project and created their own, free Etherpad sites for public use. Two that are readily available are ietherpad.com and typewith.me. Basically, etherpad is a free online collaborative writing space which requires no login for students and is immediately updated on everyone’s screens. Just send or post the link to your webpage and anyone will be able to join and etherpad gives all users their own text color.

Possible uses:

• Brainstorming
• Schedules
• Group writing
• Group reflections
• Peer editing

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3. Weblist.me – Weblist is a bookmarking portal where a user can create smart lists from URLs, photos, music, videos, documents and files that can then be shared. The smart list is then displayed in thumbnail view for browsing, sharing, and organization.

Possible uses:

• Resource portal for assignment or lectures
• Presentation url list
• Bookmarks
• Organizing research
• Sharing images and video

Sample Smart list

• Copyright Friendly Image Search
• Math Sites for K-2

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4. Delicious – A social bookmarking site that allows you to tag and keep bookmarks like you would in a browser, but allows access on any computer with an internet connection. Each time the user bookmarks a site there is the option to categorize the site using tags that you generate that can then be sorted and searched. Each tag and bookmark list also creates an RSS feed for subscriptions.

Possible uses:

• Resource list
• Research
• Annotations
• Sharing sites with classmates

Delicious Examples:

• All My Bookmarks
• My bookmarks tagged “Google”

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5. Skype - Skype is a great instant messaging/VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) allowing you to use your computer as a phone of sorts. Using Skype you can make voice and video calls to another computer as well as communicate with any of your Skype contacts through text as an instant messaging client. When making a voice call, you can even share your screen with whomever you’ve called to show them a document or how to do something on the computer. The Instructional Technology department uses it every single day to communicate across the district.

Possible uses:

• Virtual office hours
• Remote assistance
• Video conferencing with experts
• Homework help
• Video conferencing with students who are absent (long term illness)

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6. Mailcatch – Mailcatch is a service that provides disposable email addresses so students that don’t have email addresses can sign up for services like Google Docs or Voicethread. So many services require valid email address in order to create an account and then they send a link to that email account to verify that whoever is trying to sign up for their service is actually a person and not a automated computer. I have not been comfortable having students create email addresses without their parents’ permission, yet I still want them to have access to the tools we are using. Enter mailcatch. Students can sign up with a mailcatch.com email address, but they can’t actually send email from it, they can only receive email, click the verification link and then they can sign in to the web service with an account, but no email. To see an example of how this might work, I’ve created a video that walks you through the steps to sign up for Voicethread.

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7. Glogster – Glogster is a tool that allows users to create virtual, multi-media posters that can include text, images, and video. Teachers can create glogs for their students to use and students can make glogs as class projects. Here are some examples categorized by content area.

Possible uses:

• Webquest
• Projects
• Anything that you’d normally create a print poster could be made into a glog

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8. Google Squared – Google has given educators a ton of tools for use in the classroom, but their main purpose is still a search engine. Google can find information for us in seconds, but so many times that information is spread across so many different sites that deciphering it becomes the real challenge. Google Squared is an attempt to make those search results a little more usable. When doing a search in Google Squared, the search term pulls what it sees as the relevant information and puts it into a grid with categories to organize the information. Here is an example of one I did on film makers. If you visit the site, you’ll see that the search has pulled the name, picture, description, date of birth, etc. into a grid allowing students to compare the film makers in a meaningful way without have to visit site after site. They can then use their critical thinking skills to decide what information is important and what is not. They can even change the categories, share their “squares” or export them to a separate spreadsheet program. It uses Google’s searching techniques, but organizes the information differently.

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9. Bubbl.us – Mind mapping software is not anything new, we’ve been using Inspiration in the district for years, but Bubbl.us is an online version that seems to work really well. What’s nice about this version is that it’s sharable and since it’s online, no software is required on your computer, everything is online. That means that when you (or your students) need to work on a project on different computers, there is no need to try to transfer via a flash drive or save it to server space, Bubbl.us stores it online. Just login and all your mind maps are right there. Below is an example of part of a mind map that I made as a part of a presentation that I did on writing in the 21st century. The audience gave me suggestions and we plugged them in as we went.

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10. Dropbox - Do you use more than one computer? I do. Actually, I use lots of them. Dropbox allows me to share my files across computers by syncing anything that I place in a specific folder to their webservers. The client can be installed on any number of computers and all files that are synced to the Dropbox servers are then synced across any computer (regardless of operating system) with the client installed. Additionally, all files can then be access from any computer with an internet connection as well as many mobile devices. You can also share your Dropbox folder with other people so if you’re collaborating on a project, sharing files is a snap. All files are backed up to the Dropbox service included as a part of the basic service.

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This is not an exhaustive list of Web 2.0 tools by any means but it does give you a starting point for some that are less well known. Good luck and enjoy your online journey.

This post was written in response to a request made at a technology meeting by teachers looking for some new tools to use with their students.

One of my favorite tools in the Google arsenal is that of Google Alerts. Essentially, Google Alerts is a tool that will do an ongoing search for you automatically and then email you the results on a regular basis.  So, imagine that you are in the market for a new netbook (as I was last summer).  Asus had just come out with the eeepc 1000HE and I was interested. However, I wanted to let some of the early adopters get one and make their recommendations as to the feel and workings of the machine.  Instead of going everyday and doing a blog search looking for reviews, I set up a Google Alert to do a comprehensive search on the term “eeepc 1000HE” and to email me the results once a day.

From then on I got a daily email anytime there was a website that would have shown up in my search results.  I love Alerts for the same reason that I love RSS, it saves me time and energy. My searches come to my inbox automatically and I can use my time in other ways.  Give it a try.

I just found out that Google added a new feature in Google Docs. You can now create drawings that may just simulate graphic organizers. I don’t think that it will replace tools like Inspiration, but it will create another option for those teachers using Google Docs with their students. It’s as simple as selecting “Insert” –> “Drawing”. For more information, visit the Google Docs Blog.

I’m stuck in a routine. Some may even say that I’m addicted. Almost every day for a good portion of the day I sit in front of my computer. I have it set up the way I want it. My desktop is organized according to my tastes. My Firefox plugins anxiously await my use. Bottom line, my computer and I have a very special relationship because I have personalized it for my uses. My home row keys letters are slowly wearing away and there’s a shiny area on my space bar that shows the wear of my fingers. I know where to find my files and I know which programs will greet me upon startup. This is the very reason that, while I always like the boost in performance, I never truly look forward to getting a new machine. I always have to reconfigure everything. I hard drive failure not only runs away with my data, but it also causes me several hours of preparing my system for me to use meaningfully.

Last year, one of the biggest parts of my job was to hand out new laptops to teachers in my district. To make matters worse, we weren’t just handing out laptops, we were stripping these teachers of their beloved Macs. Over a year and a half later, I still hear comments about how much better the Macs were than these stupid HP laptops that we are now “stuck” with. We develop a personal connection with our tools. The problems, while frustrating, become somehow endearing over time. We know what to expect, we understand the challenges of these tools including their limitations and, however maddening, we get beyond it. Mac or PC, it’s simply a computer… a tool that we use to complete tasks. The passion that comes from these tools I don’t necessarily understand, but I find myself falling into passionate discussions over tools. My phone is one such tool. It’s not that it’s the best, but it certainly suits my needs and I’ve set it up exactly how I want it. They are very personal things and we become attached and fanatical about them. I use OSX, XP, Vista and now Windows 7 and, truly, don’t have a huge preference. My main machine is a PC because that’s what my district uses, but to me, they’re just tools.

What about the students that we teach? Does it really matter whether they’re sitting in front of an HP or an Apple when they’re typing a paper? They’re simply word processing. Even when it comes to video editing, there are tools on both platforms that students can use to create their movies. Is one easier than the other, maybe. But is the tool really that important? I say No. The skills that students (and adults) take away from any training or class is the important element in the equation. The logo doesn’t matter. The name of the software is immaterial. Do all secondary students need to be able to move through Excel or PowerPoint or is it more important that they understand and adapt their spreadsheet and presentation skills to any computer that is put in front of them? The classroom tools (SMART, Prometheon, Mac, PC, Web 2.0, etc) do not make for learning. Let’s start discussing skills instead of tools and end the argument over which one is better.

Even as I write this, I understand that there are tools that I would have a hard time living without. When Google announced that they were ending their support of Notebook, I was far from amused. However, there are other tools out there. Do they work the same way? No. Is their integration with other Google tools as seamless? No. Do I have the skills to use them effectively? Yes.

Yes, I’m attached to my computer and, yes, it’s a love/hate relationship. But the tools that I use in my daily routine as I work with teachers doesn’t make my work better; it makes it more convenient. I’m not interested in getting rid of my tools that I’ve grown so fond of, but I am interested in helping students acquire the skills to be able to move beyond a tool and still succeed in their tasks.

Image from http://www.sxc.hu/index.phtml

Today was the first day of the Midwest Education Technology Conference in St. Louis, MO.  I’m actually on the board for this conference and really enjoy being a part of the planning process.  The day started with Will Richardson’s keynote.  I’ve always enjoyed Will’s writings and presentations.  Imagine my surprise when he referenced NCTE’s Framework for 21st Century Literacies, a document that I helped to author as a part of NCTE’s Executive Board. After the session I went and introduced myself and had a nice chat before another session.  One thing that he said that I really liked was that his kids were his lens to his involvement in education.  Since my kids will be attending the school district in which I work, I have a similar feeling and a vested interest in the district as a whole. I also presented two sessions today.  The first, “Cool Tool Duel,” was a collaborative effort of 6 technology integrators in which we all presented 2 tools to the audience.  Unfortunately, Animoto chose the time I was presenting and showing their site off to do a little server maintenance.  After I logged in, the site actually said, “Went to get a beer, brb.”  This got lots of laughs and completely lightened up the mood.

My second presentation, “Instructional Strategies for a Digital World,” was one that I’ve presented in the past about my time in the classroom and my efforts to create a “paperless classroom.”  I changed the presentation considerably this time because I wanted to tell a story about my experience rather than just explain the concept and how “I” did it.  I wanted my audience to understand “why” I did it that way.  I think it went well and I enjoyed the session. I ended my day in another of Will Richardson’s sessions and then a brief sharing session with Meg Ormiston.  After dinner and drinks with DEN and some new Twitter friends, I finally braved the snowy roads and made my way home.  School is canceled for tomorrow so after dropping off the kids at childcare, it’s back to another day of METC with one final presentation.