Grandson of the Echo Pen

In my first year of teaching, I had my class market and sell a fictitious product called the Echo Pen as part of Junior Achievement’s Applied Economics. The Echo Pen would recall everything it wrote for it’s user making it a handy little gadget. It did not take long before the Echo Pen became a reality. There have been various pens that recorded what a person wrote but they did not do too well commercially. When I first saw the Pulse by Livescribe at my local Target I thought it would not last long either. That has been a couple of years ago. My interest grew when Best Buy and Staples started carrying the pen. When two administrators at my school purchased the Pluse and raved about them, the pen had my attention. Attention yes, purchase no because I still thought the Pulse was a solution looking for a problem.

The problem came after a couple of meetings which stressed the need for observations to be as low key as possible. In other words, no laptops or netbooks should be taken to a classroom since they can be seen as threatening. Just write a quick note, give it to the teacher and be on your way. Good but I still like to  document my visits. The Pulse records what you write which similar pens also did. The difference the Pulse makes is it can record audio the replays it at the point you write a note by tapping on the note. A special dotted paper, optical camera, and microphone makes this magic happen. I plucked down some hard-earned cash and got my own Pulse. Does it work as advertised? Yes!

I used my Pulse in several classroom observations over the last couple of days. Usually, I don’t record audio during these visits because I am documenting technology use and giving recommendations. At the end of the day I take sync my pen with my computer and transfer my notes to the Livescribe Desktop. Then I copy and paste these notes into the technology integration portfolios I have created for each teacher. If I wished, notes can be uploaded to a website then e-mailed or shared on social networking sites, blogs, or websites. With handwriting recognition software it can convert handwritten notes to editable text. Good luck with my chicken scratch. Today I used the full recording capabilities as I recorded a friend of mine who spoke to a Journalism class. It has really helped me because I don’t have to carry around my laptop and it’s distractions.

Can the Pulse help students? Yes. I could have used this in many lectures when the teacher would speak at a rapid pace. Tape recorders never really worked for me because I really did not want to hear the lecture all over again. While studying, tapping my notes at the point where I have a question and hear that part of the lecture can really help. The Livescribe website has a K-12 section which gives other examples on how the Pulse can help students, teachers, administrators, and parents. As I plan on exploring other uses for the Pulse smartpen Grandpa Echo Pen must be smiling.

Here is a quick demo of what the Pulse smart pen can do. Please forgive my chicken scratch handwriting. You can also click here if you cannot hear the audio.

 

Teacherbytes Demo
brought to you by Livescribe

 

Told You So

In my weekly Tech Monday staff development session I closed our school’s Cybersafety Awareness Week with Internet Safety for Teachers. In this session participants and I discuss various aspects of Internet use that could prove harmful to a teacher’s career. One of the things I go over is how things posted on Social Networks could come back and haunt people. This is a discussion I have had with students too. The example I highlight the most is posting pictures on the Internet. I talk about how  one may think a picture is totally innocent but might be construed in a totally different and unexpected way. The different interpretations might cause trouble for someone which can be annoying to downright scary. Another thing, it won’t matter if you have locked the picture or not. If someone wants the information bad enough they will find a way to get it.

Over the weekend I noticed a post in Mashable about a woman who had her disability benefits stopped because of pictures posted on Facebook. According to a CBC article, Nathalie Blanchard was on long-term disability due to depression and was paid benefits from her insurance company. During this time she had taken a trip and went to bars with friends which, according to Ms. Blanchard, was advised by her doctor. Apparently some pictures were taken and posted on the social networking site. To make matters worse, Ms. Blancard’s profile was locked. This means no one can see her site without her approval. Somehow the insurance company gained access to her Facebook page and claimed the information they found proved Ms. Blanchard was no longer depressed and the benefits stopped.

Okay, Ms. Blanchard has pictures taken which appears she is having a good time. Lot’s of people take similar pictures and post them. Does this mean Ms. Blanchard really is? The other thing and the one that disturbs me most, how did the insurance company gain access to a supposedly secure site? Was it legal? This case will be argued in Canadian courts and might have long-term repercussions on how information can be accessed online. While this case makes it way in courts, what else could happen? People need to be mindful of what is posted about them whether it is done by them or someone else. As I always tell students, don’t put anything on the Internet you would not want your Mama to see and what goes on the internet stays on the Internet, and if someone wants the information bad enough they will find a way to get it. Ms. Blanchard’s insurance company wanted her information bad enough.

Good and Not so Good News about Parents and Cyberbullying

This past week our school observed its 2nd Annual Cybersafety Awareness Week which focuses attention on helping our students be safe on the Internet. Activities included safety tips on the morning announcements, class activities, and students taking the Megan Pledge. Our Student Council decorated the school with black and white polka dotted ribbons, the symbol of cyberbullying awareness, and posters about not cyberbullying. A new thing we did this year was I talked with students about cybersafety. My topics were being careful you make a friend on social networks and being careful about the type of pictures of themselves that get posted on the Internet. It was a great week and the students were wonderful.

We made a great effort making our students aware of the problems of cyberbullying but does it work? According to cyberbullying experts Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin the trends of students telling responsible adults about cyberbullying incidents is increasing dramatically. In 2005 only 11.3% of cyberbully victims told their parents. In 2008 the researchers reported the number increased to 41.1% of victims who now inform their parents. The same research showed 29.7% of cyberbully victims tell teachers, up from just 3% in 2005. This shows the message of reporting cyberbullying to a responsible adult is sinking in. Good news indeed for parents who worry about their children.

Now the bad news. This past Wednesday, I attempted to have another presentation on cybersafety for parents at our school. Last year, I am embarrassed to say nobody showed up. Maybe we did not publicize it enough? This year our community relations person and I made sure we informed the news media of the event. As evidenced here our message got out. The weekly newsletter, our marquee, morning announcements, and Twitter also informed parents of the event. Kate Cerve, Education Reporter for the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette called to inform me she was coming to see what I had to say and get reactions from parents. Again, I set up a great presentations including the latest research. At the appointed hour the only person who came was Kate. While we had a good chat and she later wrote a great article, I know she was disappointed by lack of parent turnout. How will parents deal with the complex problem of cyberbullying if they don’t understand the nature of the threat or how to deal with it.

Anyone who has seen my cyberbullying presentations know I advocate awareness, understanding, communication, and most importantly observation to make students safe. Too often parents are deluded by the so-called “stranger danger” the news media and politicians like to talk about when talking about cybersafety. Parents are never told about the real threat to their children online. According to the Enhancing Child Safety & Online Technologies report by the Internet Safety Technical Task Force (2008) said “Bullying and harassment, most often by peers, are the most frequent threats that minors face, both online and offline.” (page 4 of the executive summary). The report further says “Those who are most at risk often engage in risky
behaviors and have difficulties in other parts of their lives. The psychosocial makeup of and family dynamics surrounding particular minors are better predictors of risk than the use of specific media or technologies.” (page 5) This means parents have to learn what the true nature of the cyberbullying problems so they can better help their children in case of attack. However, how will parents tackle this problem if they don’t come to meetings to educate themselves? Last year our district’s social workers brought in someone who preached stranger danger and purchase security software. The other thing the social workers did was feed them dinner. Maybe that is what I have to do, bribe the parents into coming.

Thoughts from the 2009 Southern Digital Literacy Conference

I just returned home from 2009 Southern Digital Literacy Conference presented by Bill Sheskey. My attendance was at the behest of our district’s ESOL Coordinator who would like me to work with the ESOL teachers to incorporate video into their classrooms. It was a good day of learning for all involved but here are some things I came away with:

  • No matter how you wish it, you need at least 2 hours to train someone how to plan, shoot and edit video even with a simple digital camcorder such as the Flip or Small Wonder. Especially if you use Windows Movie Maker. Producing video may have gotten much easier but you still need attention to detail. Two things that always trip new users. One is the fact one needs to transfer raw video files from the camcorder to a computer or flash drive before attempting to edit it. Two is the need to save a project as a file that can be shareable such as WMA, MP4, or FLV and why. If that confuses you, how about the different types of WMA files for different situations. Oy!
  • Do not attempt to take a whole class into a lab for the purpose of editing and publishing video unless the students are very experienced. You will exhaust yourself going from group to group dealing with technical problems and might get frustrated. Have one or two groups work with classroom computers so you can continue teaching but break away if you have too. During these interruptions the rest of the students can be doing something productive. Make sure you give enough time for the entire class to complete the project.
  • Keep video projects simple. I had one teacher who wanted to create Ken Burns-like documentaries which I tried to talk her out of. She kept waving her fine arts degree in front of me and continued on. At the end she hated the project, hated the students, and is now out of teaching (for other reasons along with this).
  • Plan, plan, plan! Plan for when the plan fails.
  • I came away with a new respect for Wolfram Alpha. It looks like additions to the site do a much better job of explaining how to use it. Trying to use it was always a problem I had with the Wolfram Alpha site much like a solution in search of a problem. As I played with the site I discovered if I entered musical notes as letters the site would produce how the notes would look on a music sheet. That alone impressed me enough to make a mental note to share this with music teachers next week.
  • Skype needs to become a one of the tools teachers should learn to use but more important have. This app can and has opened classrooms to the entire world. Our district has blocked the popular audio-visual communication site because it is a “peer to peer” application. I know one thing, I have never heard of any security problems associated with Skype.
  • There are so many Web 2.0 applications to choose from it is no wonder teachers get confused. As I think about all the things I want to show teachers on my Tech Monday sessions it boggles my mind. Need to keep things simple and sometimes stupid.

I really enjoyed my time in Greenville. Now it is time to put the learning into practice.

Still Engaged

I saw an interesting article on U.S. News and World Report earlier today on how the so-called Obama Generation are still engaged with in politics a year after the election. One activist created a video highlighting the need to end the war in Iraq. Others are blogging their political views and opinions. Still others are engaging in volunteerism and using Web 2.0 tools to encourage others to join in. While the majority are considered Democratic and/or Progressive, there is an increase of Conservative Republicans are joining in too.Hopefully, the realities of politics will not curb the willingness of young people to participate but I am sure there are politicians who wish they would stay away. These people can generate others to action that could actually scare elected officials.

This shows young people are eager to engage but in their own way and with their own tools.Teachers should start tapping into this enthusiasm to engage students in their lessons. Also, here is where the proper lessons of using what can be a powerful weapon for change, good or bad. This is the guidance teachers should be doing as they incorporate technology in their lessons.

Tweet an Invasion

Events such as the adventures of Balloon Boy and the political unrest in Iran showed the power of Twitter in relaying information, factual or rumor, with the rest of the world. This past Halloween I listened to Orson Wells’ 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds. Listening to this radio classic is a Halloween tradition of mine. While I was listening I grabbed my Black Berry and started tweeting the events as they unfolded on my Teacherbytes Twitter page.

When the broadcast first aired in October, 1938, it created a nation-wide panic because of the realism of the broadcast describing a Martian invasion of Earth (particularly Grovers, Mill, New Jersey). In the days before Halloween I wondered how Twitter would be used if such a broadcast could be recreated. Could anyone or group of people could create such as a panic if started with some well-planned Tweets. So when it came time listen to the broadcast I started tweeting the events. I wanted to see if anyone would bite. No one did.

After listening to and tweeting the broadcast I wondered if this could become a way of assessing student understanding of historical events, excerpts of literature, or other academic pursuits. It could be fun to see how students relay or retweet events to each other or other classes in a Twitter style of using only 140 characters. I would love to see what the tweets look like at the end of the class or day. The creativity could be amazing. This would become a lesson of explaining details in a limited space would would engage thought in the writing process. Let’s tweet the Boston Tea Party or the Shelling of Fort Sumter,

Do you know you Internet effectiveness?

Yesterday, I was honored to do a presentation on Twitter for the Hilton Head Island Food and Beverage Association. This marked the first time I did a presentation to a group other than educators. The focus of my talk was using Twitter to market a business. The presentation must have been good based on my observation of participants taking notes while I was talking, the questions I was asked, and the conversations at the end. It is from the questions and conversations I get to learn from my audience. From this feedback I make changes in my presentations and get new ideas for future presentations. While yesterday’s audience was different, my learning was not.

Whenever I talk about an Internet presence to educators they want to know how to get it done quickly and easily. Yesterday, I found out business people have the same desire as educators when it comes to an Internet presence. Time is money to the business owner which is why many of them have contracts with web developers. The big difference between businesses and educators is businesses want to know how effective their Internet message is. I found this out when I was asked on where statistics on Twitter accounts could be found. Twitter Analyzer was found after a quick Google search. Educators don’t usually care about the effectiveness of their Internet presence unless a parent or the principal calls (usually after a parent call) to do something about the webpage.

As more parents and students are becoming more Web 2.0 savvy they are demanding more information on the Internet from their children’s teachers and schools. This means educators need to start thinking about the effectiveness of their Internet message. Educators will need to evaluate a variety of tools such as  WebPages, e-mail, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Ning class sites, Google Waves, and others to see what will have to most effective reach. Whatever tools are selected will need to be reviewed constantly to determine if the target audience is getting the information demanded. As businesses provide the information consumers demand, those same consumers will demand the same level of service from their schools.

Virtual Weekend


If you had seen me running this past Saturday morning you would have thought I was running alone, lost in the music of an MP3 player. Normally you would be correct. In reality I was running in a 10K race against over 86,000 people from around the world.

The event I participated in was the Nike+ Human Race 10K sponsored by Nike. This was a virtual race around the world where people could sign-up and run anywhere they wanted. All you had to do was sign-up for the race. Then on October 24th run 10 kilometers measured with Nike's Nike+ system. Once you finished your 10K you synced your iPod or Nike+ armband and the results were posted on the Nike Running website. I believed I finished 17,522nd achieving my goals of finishing the race and not finishing last. Not bad for someone who battled injuries during the last month.

This was not the only virtual event I attended in the last few days. Friday, I was asked to assist a District consultant as he did a Web 2.0 training session for Media Specialists and their assistants. Half of this group met in Hilton Head (where I was located) and the other half were in Beaufort. This was the first chance we had to use our district's new video conferencing system. It was interesting watching this man attempt to work with the group in Beaufort.

You could tell he was not used to using a video conferencing system. I warned him doing virtual training could be disconcerting before we started. This was based on on my experience using WizIQ for some training sessions I conducted. For one thing, our consultant liked to move around and was not used to using a TV camera. If you use a video camera you have to be relatively still otherwise you might make your audience sick with the camera panning rapidly. Another problem he seemed to have is he likes to feed off his audience. With video conferencing or other distance learning you have to trust your group is with you. It was interesting (and amusing) to watch this unfold.

As technology progresses we will have to learn to work in a virtual world because all of our students will not be located in one physical location.

Parting Thoughts From SC Ed Tech 2009

I am tired but happy to be back with my family after returning from the 2009 South Carolina Educational Technology Conference in Myrtle Beach. The last three days have been a whirl of learning, connecting with old friends, and making new ones. Here are some of my thoughts and observations of the time I spent in Myrtle Beach in no particular order.

The biggest trend coming over the horizon is the use of mobile phones in the classroom. While this might not be a new idea, I believe many educators are rethinking their stance on their use. Okay, it not breaking news that almost every student has a mobile phone these days. However, instead of taking them away maybe we need to look at how we can use these devices in the classroom. Today's cellphones are essentially mini-computers. They can access vast amounts of information from the Internet and kids could probably type essays using their thumbs faster than writing them on paper. Of course rules would have to be set governing their use. With budget cuts reducing the availability of more computers in the classrooms this is an idea with more study.

Speaking of budget cuts and the economy, attendance was way down this year. Many of my friends around the state were not able to come. Vendors did not have the usual cool "schwag" you usually see at the conference. This could be a blessing in disguise. I had the pleasure of meeting many new people who I now communicate with over Twitter. Since the vendors did not have much to offer, there seemed to be more participation in the sessions.

I have challenged people to show me a serious educational use for Facebook I would consider it. Nobody took me up on my challenge until I saw how a USC-Sumter Economics professor used Facebook groups to extend class discussions to the popular social network site. The professor also used her groups on Facebook to give out class information too. I was so impressed I created a Facebook group for my school.

Congratulations to my good friends Mary Ann Sansonettie and Chris Craft on receiving the Making it Happen Award. This award was deserved to two educators who are passionate about using technology in teaching. Both educators are a great inspiration to me personally.

Hopefully, I will be back next year to help solve the great mystery which will be the theme for next year. Until then, I will be exploring many of the things I learned at this years conference. I hope to see everyone in Myrtle Beach next year.

The Pace of Technology

This morning I arrived at the 2009 South Carolina Educational Technology Conference in Myrtle Beach armed with my usual array of techno toys. Last year I lugged around a heavy laptop which cut into my shoulder by the end of a busy day. After that experience I vowed to get a netbook computer which I did after the first of the year.

Not long after getting my netbook I got my BlackBerry. Today, the only reason I am carrying my netbook around is because I need it for a presentation on Internet Safety for Teachers. I use my BlackBerry for everything else. From e-mails with my school to Twitter and Facebook apps to stay in touch with friends here. During the keynote today I was using a BlackBerry Evernote app to take notes. I am even writting this blog post using my BlackBerry via CellSpin.

The point is that when I made my netbook vow, I could not imagine it would be quickly replaced by a device that fits in the palm of my hand. Who knows what I will be using next year? Maybe a BlackBerry app that will run a presentation. The year after? The phone might have the projector.

Bittersweet Adieu

When I uploaded our Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test scores to the Northwest Evaluation Associates (NWEA) after school today it marked my last official act as MAP Test Coordinator. This means the end of days stressing over computers working in one of our labs. Making sure teachers get their classes to the correct lab to take the correct test. Chasing down the seemingly endless list of students who need to makeup their test before the window closes. Trying to explain to our Instructional Science Coach who feels slighted as I explain Science just is not considered a top priority and may not get tested because we don't have enough time in the window. Teachers hounding me on why they can't have computer lab time or why they can't see test scores on Test View. Having our School Secretary quickly tell me all the test proctors have been pulled for sub duty in classrooms then duck under her desk for fear she may have done this one too many times and I will snap. Finally, trying to hunt down that one computer in our building still running Test Taker and preventing me from uploading the day's scores keeping me from going home at the end of a long day.

It will be great because it will give me more time to get into classrooms to work with teachers and students on integrating technology into learning which is what I get paid to do. Also, one might think I would be elated over the end of a duty that would make my doctor put me on industrial strength blood pressure medicine if he took if he checked it on a good day and put me on industrial strength anti psychotics during a bad one. However, I had a little bit of sadness one gets as one chapter of their life closes as another begins. The reason for this feeling is that I understand the importance of MAP testing in the educational process.

MAP testing is an adaptive test which means as a student correctly answers questions it will get progressively harder until the student misses one. Then the questioning will take a different tact. At the end of the a test the student, and teacher, receives a score. However, the real value of the test is going into NWEA's reports website to see exactly where a student is strong and where he or she is weak. This information is valuable in predicting how he/she will do on South Carolina's PASS test at the end of the year. Teachers can then tailor instruction to help students improve. Even better, this data can be accessed within a day or two of the student taking the test.

While I would gripe and complain about the problems that always came each MAP testing window, I would say I put up with it because I understood this importance of the test. MAP is probably the only type of standardized testing I actually like. However, General George S. Patton said "The moment you become so indispensable is the moment I fire you." With this in mind, it probably was time to move on. Our district placed greater importance for Instructional Technology Coaches to get into classrooms which meant MAP had to go. As I move on though I can look back with pride about be involved in a process to help our students and look forward to the sympathy I will show to the one unlucky enough to take on this vital but tough duty. MAP testing, adieu.

My So-Called iPod Life

My so-called iPod life
Yesterday at my son's cross country meet I grabbed my iPod Nano to time his race. While I was fooling around with the iPod I got to thinking about what the device meant to me personally.

The list of ways the iPod affects my life include:

Entertainer with music and movies.
Informer with podcasts
Literary device with audio books (Treasure Island yesterday)
Gaming device (yes the Nano can have games)
Motivator with my Nike+ workouts
Coach with Nike+ again. I can download programs that can help me run a 5K to a marathon.
Stopwatch
Watch
Companion on long trips.

I am sure many of you have done some, if not all, of the above list. Also, there are some things I have left off the list. I hope you would please share.

A glimpse of our future

One of the best lines in the movie Broadcast News veteran reporter Aaron Altman, played by Albert Brooks, was at home prompting a rookie reporter over the phone during a special report. In the midst of this Altman observes "I say it here, it comes out there" as his suggestions are broadcast verbatim. I had a moment almost like that except Twitter was the median instead of a telephone.

Last night a thunderstorm hit Bluffton. In the midst of the storm the power went out in my house. About the only thing working was my Black Berry. I went to Tiny Twitter and Tweeted what was happening with the weather and what happened with the power. Not too long after this Tweet I got a message from a friend on Twitter saying she heard about me on the news again. Apparently, WSAV anchor Holly Bounds or producer Gabe Travers saw my tweet and passed it on to the meteorologist on the 6:00 news who relayed my plight to the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire. Since I am sitting in a house with no power I miss the whole thing. The power is restored in time for My Lowcountry 3. I had twittered my power has been restored. As I watch the show, guess what? The viewers of the local news show are assured that my power is back on.

As I tweeted here and saw it come out there (WSAV), I had a greater understanding of how disconcerting Aaron Altman felt. Except Altman was a professional journalist and I am an educator. Then it struck me, I and people like me are the future of the news media. Newspapers across the country are going out of business. Reporters are losing their jobs faster than auto workers. The news media industry is at the point it needs to change or die. The change? Find a cadre of citizen journalists (knowing or unknowing) and let them break the news. The professional journalists will then come behind and develop the story.

How better to do this than to use social networks such as Facebook or information networks such as Twitter. Follow what people are observing and see what could become a story. Major networks such as CNN and Fox News are inviting people to submit story ideas. Local outlets are doing the same thing. My Lowcountry 3 always has a question of the day on Facebook and relays the responses each night. This binds shows with their audiences which creates a loyal fan base while saving some money for the organization. Nothing wrong with that as long as both parties agree to the relationship. I did not mind my power outage plight being shared so no harm no foul.

Another example of how journalists are adapting to the new media is how Island Packet Sports Reporter Justin Jarrett uses Twitter. Justin used to cover my soccer team during my coaching days so we became as friendly as a coach and reporter can become. He did a in depth report on what area athletes were posting on social network sites such as MySpace so he understands Web 2.0 Out of respect for his talent, professionalism, and past history I followed him as soon as I saw he was on Twitter. He has not disappointed me. Not only does Justin give you short updates of the events he covers but he brings his personality into his tweets. He comments on just about anything with an insight you don't get by reading his stories alone. Justin's tweets make me want to read his stories in the paper because I will get a better understanding of what he is writing about. Another thing Justin does is he interacts with readers in a way you rarely see. This can only be done through apps like Twitter or Facebook.

Will the news media come out of this recession the same way it entered it? The answer is no. However, the news media will not die but must and will change and adapt to the new conditions. Holly Bounds, Gabe Travers, and Justin Jarrett are showing what the news media will look like in the near future. The lesson for educators? Journalism, like education, has been plodding along with its traditions and attitude of this is they way it is always done. Many educators have this same attitude. Education will change too. The big difference will be the pace of change between the two professions. Watching journalism change can teach us how to handle the inevitable change to come.

Random and Silly Bits from FIRST Robotics Championships

Random notes and silly thoughts:

· One of the things I like about FIRST coopetitions is the creativity teams show with their uniforms. There is some creativity shown in these. Another thing I think is neat is the tradition of teams creating buttons not only to wear but trade as well. Something I learned the hard way in my team’s regional competition. We had buttons but nowhere near enough. We remedied this when we went to the state competition.

· One act that shows the spirit of coopetition and gracious professionalism is how one American team helped a foreign team with parts and tools to build a new robot when the foreign team’s robot got stuck in customs. Time and again I heard members from one team looking for another team to share batteries, parts, and tools. Very cool!

· FIRST needs to get ESPN to televise this thing. The worldwide leader in sports already televises the National Spelling Bee so educational events is not out of their scope. Add the hard hitting action and strategic planning it could possible draw in the football and hockey crowd. The increased exposure would inspire more students to get involved. Finally, while NASA TV televised the event, ESPN could bring more money to FIRST to spread out to teams in need and calm their fears about what the economy could do to programs.

· Speaking of money, it takes a lot of it to be coopetitive at this level. One former FRC coach told me $50,000 would get you a very competitive robot. Yikes! If I was on the board I would be worried too about how the current economic situation would affect FIRST.

· I know FTC was created for programs that do not have the kind of money or technical help needed for FRC but it is kind of treated like a minor league. While not intended, this attitude might prove counterproductive in the long-term.

· Now speaking of technical expertise, all six finalists came from large industrial or technology parts of the country. In fact almost all of the teams had either been champion or been in the final four. Two programs were hall of fame. Five of the six teams were from around the Detroit, Michigan area and the other one from Silicon Valley. They can draw on adult mentors who eat, sleep, and breathe advanced engineering and science. With this current setup these teams will always have a big competitive advantage over poor teams from rural areas. There is a lottery draw that allows teams to come to the championships but the $5000 entry fee, travel, food, lodging, and shipping costs are a big barrier to entry for some teams.

· General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford all sponsored teams and FIRST in general. Therefore, I guess we can say the U.S. Government besides NASA and the CIA (you read that right) are heavily involved in FIRST. One organization I did not see as a sponsor of any kind was the United Auto Workers. Because they don’t seem to want to give on helping the auto industry they need all the good will they can get. Also, with five of six final teams from around the Detroit area it is a good bet the children of good dues paying UAW members are participating. Don’t tell me the UAW doesn’t have the money. If the union can sponsor a NASCAR race every year they can sponsor some FIRST teams. These kids could help save all those union jobs in the future.

· Instead of sponsoring the finalist teams, General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford should hire these kids – NOW! Apparently they can design, engineer, and build machines that can kick the rear ends of foreign competition. Something current designers and engineers at the big three auto makers seem unable to do. Again, maybe these kids can save the American automotive industry.

Either volunteer with a team or start a team. If you are unable to do that then volunteer to help at a regional, state, or the international competitions. It is hard work but also a lot of fun and you will meet all kinds of interesting people.

FIRST Coopetition at the Georgia Dome

What event would have thousands of screaming spectators flocking to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to cheer on teams engaged in hard-hitting action to determine a champion? Could it possibly be the Georgia High School League Football state championship? How about the South Eastern Conference championship football game or the Chick-fil-A Bowl? Maybe even the Super Bowl? How about this, it is not a football game. While these events would be excellent guesses the event I am talking about is the FIRST Robotics Championships.

FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. The program was founded by Segway inventor Dean Kamen as a way to show practical uses of math and science. Teams from all over the world come to Atlanta every year to see what team of middle and high school students can design, build, program, and drive the best robot. However, this is not just a competition; it is a “coopetition” (it’s trademarked) in which students are expected to display “gracious professionalism” (trademarked too). Teams are expected, no required to show teamwork with other teams to reach their championship goals while displaying good sportsmanship.

FIRST robotic coopetitions are broken down into three levels. The FIRST Robotics Challenge (FRC) or “Big Bots” is high school teams who design and build large, complex robots. Three teams make an alliance and must work together to score points so their alliance can win. These robots compete on a playing area with a trailer attached to the robot. The object is to put as many scoring “rocks” or soccer ball-sized balls into their opponents trailer while preventing “rocks” from getting into their trailers. In the last 20 seconds of a round, there are balls called “super cells” that are worth more points if they are placed into an opponent’s trailer. Rocks can be delivered by human “payload specialists” who try to throw rocks into trailers or robots collecting rocks then dumping them into a trailer. Teams are required to complete some form of community service project and expected to mentor other robotics teams.

The FIRST Technical Challenge or “Little Bots” is designed for high school teams who do not have the money to compete in FRC or just getting a robotics program started at their school. These teams design and build smaller robots using the brain of a Mindstorm and Bluetooth enabled controllers to operate their robots. The coopetition requires teams to work as allies of other teams to complete tasks on their playing grid. This task is usually taking objects to a scoring area while preventing their opponents from doing the same. The alliance with the most points after a round is the winner. Teams are also required to perform some type of community service and mentor teams in elementary or middle/junior high schools.

The FIRST Lego League (FLL) is middle school or junior high teams building robots using the Lego MindstormLego parts. The coopetition consists of programming a robot to carry out a variety of tasks on a specially designed playing field. Playing fields are changed each year depending on the theme of the competition, this year it was “Climate Connections.” Along with the robotic challenge, teams are also required to present a research project based on the theme. I was fortunate enough to have been part of the first place team in Research Presentation for South Carolina. Teams are also scored in teamwork and robot design to determine the winner. robot kits and any official

My original intent was to participate in conference holds in Atlanta along with the competition. However, the FLL coach and fellow Instructional Technology Coach I work with asked if I was willing to volunteer. Somehow I knew I was going to say yes but just to get back at her, I had her explain the switch in plans to my wife who was holed up at my sister-in-law’s house in Snellville. My wife was not happy but agreed to my volunteering. FIRST coopetition volunteer coordinators must work in the personnel branches of the military. You can request a certain position but they are going to put you where they think FIRST needs you. I, with one season of FLL under my belt, was assigned to FRC, about as far away as you can get. My colleague must have bribed someone because she eventually became a FLL Field Resetter. Like the military, I was given the task of handing out safety glasses then promptly switched. On Wednesday evening I helped check-in FRC teams as they delivered their robots to the pits located in the World Congress Center. Then I was told to check back with the volunteer coordinator in the morning. Thursday morning arrived and after prayers of thanksgiving for not having been killed in Atlanta morning traffic I reported to the Volunteer Coordinator. Forget safety glasses, I was sent to the Curie Field to be a resetter.

When I and the other field resetters reported for duty we were introduced to Matt, our team leader. Matt gathered us around and asked if any of us had never seen a FRC match? Everyone stared at me as I quickly found out my hand was the only one up. I tried to gain some credibilty by stating I have only been working with FLL bots. The continued looks told me while FIRST may be one big family, FLL and FRC don’t usually mix. Still, everyone, including Matt, was nice enough and answered any questions I had. For the benefit of the one of me Matt quickly went over the rules and what the duties were.

Thursday was practice rounds and for some reason beyond my comprehension someone scheduled 44 of them. To make sure teams were getting their money’s worth they tried to squeeze 2 matches per round. We didn’t even come close to 88 matches but we did get the 44 in plus some. All during the day Matt must have been fulfilling a secret wish to be a drill sergeant. He kept after us to work faster and faster trying to shave a minute off the turnaround time. Actually, Matt was very positive while working us like galley slaves and pulled his share of the load and helped teams get robots connected to the network. By the end of the day I was exhausted and could barely stand much less walk. Eventually I made it back to my Sister-in-Law’s and collapsed in the bed.

Friday was much better. I guess the coopetition brought the energy level up for everyone involved. Also, I knew I was only working half of the day because I had to head for home. Another thing was Matt was far more positive than the day before. He actually called us a “machine” which I am sure was as good a compliment as we would ever receive from him. As the matches went on, I found myself becoming more and more of a FRC fan. It does not take long to get acquainted with the rules and strategies of each team. Teams scout each other as much or more than any athletic team I have been associated with. Some teams come into a match with an offensive game plan or try to dump as many rocks into an opponent’s trailer as possible. Other teams play more defensively by either avoiding offensive robots or jamming the offensive robots into corners and not let them out. It became so addicting I was glued to my computer at home on Saturday watching the finals which were webcast. I really wished I could have stayed though the finals on Saturday just to experience the excitement firsthand.

At the end of Saturday the champions were crowned and other awards were handed out. Teams shook hands and congratulated each other demonstrating gracious professionalism. That night Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta was host to an after event party. I am sure kids swapped e-mail addresses and promised to stay in touch. Others made vows to return next year and win the overall championship. Still more started planning for next year’s robot incorporating what they learned from this experience. Through it all, two things were in all participants’ minds Saturday as the fireworks exploded in the Georgia Spring sky. One, science and math do matter. Two, it was fun!

Live from in front of my china cabinet its....

Recently our district unblocked Twitter for teachers after a short battle with our Internet gatekeepers. One of the terms of the peace accord was I would provide Twitter training for district personnel. Bluffton Today Education Reporter Sara Wright asked if she could participate in one training session for a story which I agreed to. After the training, Sara started using the Twitter account she created in the class. One of her other followers was Holly Bounds, a reporter for WSAV television in Savannah, Georgia. Holly produces a show called "My Lowcountry 3" which covers covers the South Carolina Lowcountry including Beaufort County. Holly contacted me through Twitter requesting an interview.

I agreed to the interview but I must admit I was skeptical. Years ago, a television reporter for another station did, in my opinion, a brutal job of editing some comments I made about a controversial topic which got me into trouble. I learned a hard lesson about TV media which I later put to use in the classroom and won an award for but that is another story. Through Twitter, Holly and I set up a time for her to come by the school which turned out to be the day before Spring Break. At least I would be in a good mood.

Now I was expecting Holly to be one of those divas since she produces and anchors her own show. I envisioned her coming in with entourage in tow. Make-up person constantly fussing over her appearance like I see right before "Fox and Friends." A personal assistant with one hand holding a phone up to one ear and texting into a Black Berry with the other. The rest of the entourage would consist of the camera operator and sound engineer. What I saw when she came really surprised me. Holly was lugging a camera and tripod on her own. Could you see Katie Couric jumping out of a CBS car in Alaska and carrying her own equipment to do her interview with Sara Palin'? I know I am not a Vice Presidential candidate but anchors never carry their own stuff or so I thought.

When I enquired about where the camera and sound people were, Holly replied "I'm it." Just to prove I was not behind the times, I saw a crew at the ETV conference a couple weeks earlier shooting an interview. Holly later told me she also has to do her own editing for her show. Talk about a 21st century learning moment, I bet journalists didn't learn much about videography, sound, and editing in the past. The interview with me and our principal went well in my mind. I offered to be on Twitter when the show aired in the evening which Holly said would be great.

Now comes the fun part. I heard stories about how crazy live TV could be. I even experienced this when an attempt to produce a school show through UStream went awry as it spiralled into failure. Well I was about to get a dose of it on a whole new level. One of the features of My Lowcountry 3 is they try to get the views to participate via Twitter and Facebook. Actually, all reporters at WSAV are required to have both a Twitter and Facebook accounts. Questions are posted each day so viewers can give their opinions with the best read over the air. A very social networked show. Today Gabe, the show's studio producer, decided to try something new. After checking in via Twitter and about 10 minutes before airtime I get a message asking if I had a webcam. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach because I knew where this is probably heading. Live interview from my home.

We agreed to use Skype after I replied yes. Little did I know this was the first time Gabe used Skype to broadcast an live interview on the show. I had race and change out of my old t-shirt and into something more presentable while booting up my webcam equipped netbook. A similar scene had to be played out in the studio. People flying all around trying to get this stunt to work with Holly on set maintaining outward professional composure but probably screaming in her mind, "YOU WANT TO DO THIS NOW!?"She may have to carry her own equipment but Holly, I'm sure, has some professional pride as an anchor. Fortunatly everything worked without a hitch. Actually, it must have worked so good they had me on for two segments. Take that Karl Rove and James Carville. I'm sure Sean Hanity and Keith Olbermann don't give you two segments too often if at all. It was an exciting experience I will soon bore more people with.

Lessons to be learned from this experience? One is more practice talking on podcasts or videos. The ahs just kill me when I do too much. The other lesson is build a set in your spare room or garage because you never know when you may have to do a live television interview in your home. At least Holly liked my wife's china pattern.

An Open Letter to Microsoft: Bring Back Photo Story

Dear Microsoft:

I have known about Photo Story for awhile but never really thought much of it. That is until I actually used it or better yet used it with kids. I had jumped into new media with both Movie Maker feet and thought Photo Story a rather obsolete cute program whose time had passed. Who would want to use photos when they could have full video? What an arrogant fool I've been.

Last year I attended a workshop where the presenter had participants create something using Photo Story. I had some photos I had taken of the Cowpens National Battlefield with me so I created my own narrative of the battle. When I had finished I could not believe the powerful story I had created. Way better than a Power Point I had created for a job interview.

Later, working with our school robotics team, there was a debate over how best to present the project the kids were working on for the competition. It was suggested some form of video be created to take pressure off of the kids when they had to present their research findings to a committee of judges. We actually saw other team's videos for the same purpose after an Internet search. However, time was running out so I suggested using Photo Story because it would be quicker than shooting and editing video. Our results are embedded in this blog post. The team with well researched content and photos they had taken on a field trip to the Waddell Mariculture Center and other photos gather from other sources put together a Photo Story video that took second place in the regional competition, enough to help us make the state finals. At Clemson University the team won first place in Research Presentation.

Without Photo Story and its ease of use it is doubtful we could have achieved the results at the state competition. So Microsoft, please bring back Photo Story if not in a Vista form, in Windows 7. I know it seemed like a logical thing to merge it with Movie Maker but Movier Maker can be a bit dauting for teachers and students trying to do some form of video for the first time. The ability to add photos, script, add music, and the Ken Burns effects with a few clicks of the button could benefit many classrooms. If you can should add any feature make insert video clips provided it does not complicate things. The judges privately told us after the state competition that we should consider putting our video on ETV and other media outlets. See for yourself if Photo Story is a worthy program.

MySpace Means No Space for Studen-Teacher

A federal court rejected Stacy Snyder's argument that her MySpace page is considered free speech and should not be used to dismiss her from a college teacher-training program. A high school Snyder was student-teaching out had complaints about professionalism and content knowledge but asked she be dismissed after seeing a MySpace page which had pictures of her drinking and posts critizing her supervisor. Because Snyder was dismissed from the student-teaching program, she could not complete the requirements for an education degree. Because the judge considered Snyder's position with the high school more an aprenticeship rather than an educational pursuit, the school was within its right to dismiss Snyder over the MySpace page. Also, it probably did not help that Snyder told her student about the page too.

I always tell students two things about the Internet:

  1. Don't post anything you would not want you mama to see.
  2. What goes on the Internet, stays on the Internet.
ARS Technica article

So long Pownce

The troubling economic conditions hit a little closer to home today when I received an e-mail from Pownce announcing their decision to close as of December 15th. I earlier wrote that I thought Pownce would be a great tool for teachers to use to reach out to both parents and students because of some neat features such as document attachments. Fortunately, the team at Pownce have found positions on the enginering team at Six Apart so they won't have to worry about this Christmas season.

Unfortunatley, this may be the first of other Web 2.0 applications that would be beneficial in the classroom or have become teacher favorites. Hopefully, when we get out of this economic mess the surviving Web 2.0 companies will be able to offer exciting applications for teachers and students. Until then we will just have to weather the storm by supporting each other as much as possible.

Good bye Pownce, we hardly knew you.

Telementoring brings experts to the classroom


People attend education conferences to learn new things and share ideas that can benefit students in the classroom. Another thing that make conferences interesting is looking at vendor booths to mainly see what they have to give away which gives sales people a chance to talk to you about what they have to offer you that will cure your educational woes. Most of the time the products being pitched either are too expensive, don't fit your situation, can't purchase it because your district just purchased a competitor's product, or you don't have the decision making authority. However, there are rare times that you find something new, exciting, and you actually can procure and use. For me today was one of those days.

Cynergi Systems, a company that provides multimedia technology solutions for the education market, announced a new solution that could provide more expertise in classrooms, South Carolina EduSpace. South Carolina EduSpace, according to company CEO Neil Willis, is a telementoring system providing experts in business or higher education the chance to speak to classes in K12 schools via teleconferencing. While teleconferencing is nothing new, the fact that Cynergi is providing this service to schools for free had my jaw on the ground. In a breakout session on the product at 2008 South Carolina EdTech, Willis explained the service will be paid for by advertising. A brief ad at the beginning of a session will be shown. Willis promised the ads will be appropriate for schools to show.

To book a speaker teachers will go to the website and view available speakers in the subject area desired. Teachers will be able to choose the best speakers based on ratings given to speakers by other teachers. Once a speaker is chosen, the website will act as a go between to arrange a booking. One school and up to three different speakers can be used at one time. All the participants need is a video camera capable of steaming video over the Internet. Each session is recorded and teachers will be able to download sessions for further use.

Currently, Cynergi is beta testing South Carolina EduSpace in four Palmetto State school districts but Willis says every county and school district will be able to use the service after January 1st. Also, businesses and colleges are being signed up to provide both speakers and sponsorship funds. Another thing to remember is this service is only being offered to South Carolina schools. It is great sign that businesses in South Carolina are investing money into education with an uncertain economy. Hopefully, they will soon realize this investment will not go bust as Wall Street banks did a short time ago.