Author: Bob.Green

Wearable Technology

Note:  This is the first in what appears to be 10(11…12..I keep adding) blog topics I have compiled after the 2014 Ohio Educational Technology Conference.  Each blog post related to the conference will be tagged OETC14
In March 2013 I debated back and forth over a purchase.  The purchase was for a $100 device from a company called Fitbit.  The company has devices that pair (One) with your desktop and mobile device that tracks all sorts of information related to the number of steps taken, miles travelled, active minutes, sleep pattern and more.  I kept coming back to the question of if I would actually use the device and would I see any changes in my behaviors.  The answer to the two questions I had starting out were answered.  I saw my weight drop nearly 20 pounds then go back up 10 pounds but it was a major step.  I also saw myself become aware of the counter and always wanting to try and hit at least 5,000 steps while the goal was 10,000 steps.  A few weeks into 2014, I received a report from Fitbit that told me I had walked 843 miles in 293 days.  That came out to an average of 2.87 miles a day.
I was also fearful that I would put the device through the washer as is common with me and lip balm.  Thankfully I can report that it was not the washer the brought up this blog post but instead me loosing the device somewhere between the Hyatt Regency, Columbus Convention Center, Barley’s and Nationwide Arena.  When I realized that I had lost the device…panic set in on two fronts.  The first front was that I had lost a $100 device.  That was $100 hard earned dollars gone.  The second panic that set in was that I wasn’t going to hit my step goal for today (I was at 7,000ish) because it couldn’t track my steps.  This made me mad because I always want to hit my goals and especially when I am close to hitting my goal.
I realized that this device had become a part of me in every sense of the manner.  It wasn’t embedded in me but it had become a part of me.  It drove my decisions on a daily basis in a positive manner to a degree.  It changed behaviors for me that were healthier than previous behaviors.  I took the stares as much as possible, walked the longer route at lunch etc.  All of this through a device and an app on my phone.  That is a powerful realization.  There was no hesitation on my part this time when I got home that evening just 7 hours after loosing the device and promptly order a new device.  The first time I made the decision I took almost two weeks before I pressed the purchase button.  This time I went with the Fitbit Flex.  It attaches to your wrist.
How could wearable technology be used in schools?  In one of my graduate school courses, I am working on developing a lesson using this technology that addresses Technology, Science, Math, Social Studies, Language Arts, Health and Physical Education courses.  The premise is that this device can be used in a real life situation while bringing all of these subjects under a single project.  Once that lesson is finished I will post it to the blog here to share with the world.

Ohio Education Technology Conference – 2014

The Ohio Education Technology Conference (OETC) is a 3 day technology conference held in Columbus, Ohio with over 5,000 people attending.  At this point I have lost track of how many I have attended (6 or 7 I think?) but it is a good event.  Usually around this time of year, old man Winter has us dreaming of riding roller coasters (at least it does for me) and our batteries a little low from the reality of another school year and the many items that go along with it.  OETC is a great escape for 3 days and the batteries are recharged as we come away armed with new information and ideas to explore when we return to our schools.
As I looked through the conference sessions the buzz words in education stuck out in almost every session.  These buzzwords are the words we have been hearing for over a year now and include the likes of PARCC, Online Assessments, Online Testing, Common Core Standards, IIS and many others.  One observation I have made over the years is that each year the conference appears to have a list of buzzwords that are making their rounds within the education community.  Netbooks, Smartboards, Student Response Systems…do any of these sound familiar?  My concern is that we are creating an environment through PARCC, Online Assessments, Online Testing, Common Core Standards and IIS where we become so focused on the test or the data from the test that we fail to create an environment that is similar to real life.  We fail to develop within our students the skills necessary to be successful in the workplace and beyond.  Furthermore these new online tests are going to require an investment of technology and infrastructure all of which cost money that I fear will be used by many only during the testing window and not used outside of it.
Take a moment to reflect and ask your self…have you had to recall an obscure fact that was on a test 10 years ago or did you have to solve a problem while working with various departments and create a solution that wasn’t one of the four possible answers?  My understanding is that the new assessments are focused more around the second part of my question but the sample questions have been few and far between.  This has me worried moving forward because my desire would be for an assessment that is centered around project based learning and requires students to work together to create a solution and not work in an isolated silo which is not reality.
My favorite moments at the conferences usually happen not in the sessions but the short amount of time walking between sessions and the after hour social events.  It is there that we are not restrained by a pre-determined amount of time or a topic but we are free to explore, debate and reflect upon what we are hearing.  A group of dedicated individuals many of whom I have met through Twitter and then finally in person, took the reigns in 2013 and created OETCx (The OETC Unconference).  I can’t find who said it but they described (maybe not accurate here…paraphrasing my own words here) OETCx as the place for those who challenge the traditional methods to gather and discuss.  Someone else I think mentioned the now famous Apple commercial from 1997 titled Here’s to the Crazy Ones (see below).
So as I prepare to make the short 10 mile commute to the convention center to pick up my registration packet for the conference I can’t help play that commerical on repeat.  I challenge myself and colleagues from around the state that may be seen as the crazy ones and for those who see the possibilities of education being truly different to not be shy and timid but be vocal.   Join us on Tuesday Jan.28th 2014 for OETCx at the conference and for the after hour events!

IFTTT – The App with Endless Possibilities

A year from now when we are reviewing the major events of 2014, we will not be able to forget the odd start to the year in the weather department.  A snow storm dumped any where from a dusting to 12+ inches of snow in parts of Ohio where other parts saw all rain.  Temperatures went from hovering just above freezing to below zero in a matter of hours.  We had two straight days where the high temperature was below zero.  In central Ohio this was the coldest air seen in 20 years.  Wind chill readings were reaching -30 to – 40 degrees F. Capping off the entire event was a 24 inch water main break in the city of Columbus that sent water into the streets.  I am working on a future post of how we stayed connected during this event.
I have discussed IFTTT (If This Then That) previously and how I use it in my daily life.  As the cold air approached we started looking towards our e-mail to see if the office would be open or not.  The geek in me says there has to be a better way of finding out if we have work or not than opening my e-mail.  Here is what I did:
  1. Instructed IFTTT to check a label I had a created within GMAIL for new messages.
  2. If a new message arrived then I told IFTTT to call me on my cell phone
  3. The call contained who the message was from and the subject
In these three easy steps I received a notification that I had a new message and then could check my e-mail.  Is there a way or are you already incorporating IFTTT into your workflow or at school?
Bob

The Book Shelf – 2013

The View from Behind the Badge by Don Stratton

Remote: Office Not Required

My Last Fight: The True Story of a Hockey Rock Star

I think there may have been a paperback copy of a book in there some where but I am drawing a blank on it at this time. I will keep looking to see if I can find the title.

Although my reading inventory this year is not as much as the previous two years, I did find that I was reading more material related to my work and schooling. This material has benefited me greatly in my job over the year.

The Book Shelf – 2013

This has become a yearly post that I have done since 2011 that includes a look at the books I ended up reading throughout the year that were not related directly to my job or schooling.
I think there may have been a paperback copy of a book in there some where but I am drawing a blank on it at this time.  I will keep looking to see if I can find the title.
Although my reading inventory this year is not as much as the previous two years, I did find that I was reading more material related to my work and schooling.  This material has benefited me greatly in my job over the year. You can see some of this information over HERE.

Technology Leadership – Resources and More

Vision of Educational Technology Leadership:

Educational technology leadership is not the responsibility of a lone individual or department but instead the responsibility of the administration, teachers, parents and students. We all have different skills and experiences that we have developed over time and it is the responsibility of all to help develop the skills of those around us. As we work to develop those skills for ourselves and others, professional development needs to be at the forefront and included in every thing we do. It will be through professional development at the start and continued professional development that we will be able to utilize the tools and technologies at our disposal to be successful in the 21st century. This will look different for every one but that is the point, there is not a one size fits all model in today’s world.

Standards:

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a membership organization that aims to empower connected learners in a connected world. ISTE has an annual conference with the location changing each year that focuses on technology, integration, classroom instruction and much more.

ISTE has developed a set of standards that they state are the standards for learning, teaching and leading in the digital age. The standards developed by ISTE are unique in the fact they have standards for Students, Teachers, Administrators, Coaches and Computer Science Teachers.

The utilization of the ISTE standards along with the Ohio Technology Standards provide a solid foundation of the skills expected of all stakeholders in the world today. The important thing to note here is that these standards are not stand alone standards but can be integrated into other academic content areas.

Videos:

Dr. Judith Wright – Transformational Leadership

A review of transformational leadership and the challenges surrounding the implementation of change and leadership within an organization.

A Day Made of Glass

A creative look at how an every day item such as glass and technology come together to create a new product. Is this a product that will become as common as the microwave, dishwasher or television in our everyday lives.

Sir Ken Robinson: How Schools Kill Creativity

Sir Ken Robinson takes a look at how schools kill creativity instead of fostering it’s development.

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the Learning Revolution

Sir Ken Robinson discusses how we are on the brink of a learning revolution.

Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Education Paradigms

Sir Ken Robinson discusses the education paradigm and how we need to change it to be successful.

Reading:

Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the way the World Learns

Teach Like a Pirate

Hollowing Out the Middle: The Rural Brain Drain and What It Means for America

Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World

Brain Rules: 12 Principals for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School

Presentation Zen: Garr Reynolds

Trent Batson – Situated Learning: A Theoretical Frame to Guide Transformational Change Using Electronic Portfolio Technology

The Need for Systemic Transformational Change in School Districts ( Part 1) – Francis M. Duffy, Ph.D.

Transformational Change in Education – Honourable David Hancock, QC, Minister of Education

Feature: Massive and Open: MOOCs Are the Next Big Thing in Online Learning

Resources:

Resources listed below will be designated by the following codes: A– Administration, P – Parents, S – Students and T – Teachers.

Utilities/Hardware:

Screen Capturing – A,P,S,T

This is a presentation on one of many screen capturing programs that are available. The ability to screen capture a step by step process or take a screen shot allows you to communicate in a manner that is visual. Another screen capturing program to take a look at is Skitch

Google Maps – A,P,S,T

You may have used Google Maps to plot your course from Point A to Point B but there is so much more you can do with Google Maps including creating your own maps with points of interest.

Google Docs (Drive) – A,P,S,T

Google Docs (Drive) is a free web based suite of office productivity applications. The ability to share and collaborate with others in real time is at the base of the feature set. It also has the ability to convert documents of varying types to a Google Doc format. More advanced uses of the office suite allow for the creation of scripts designed to accomplish various tasks.

Google Sites – A,P,S,T

An easy to use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web editor that allows for the creation of websites. Basic site construction is easily achieved but through the power of Google you can integrate into the site items such as Maps, Docs, Youtube Videos and more.

Livescribe – A,P,S,T

Livescribe is a pen on steroids. The Livescribe pen through it’s special dot paper not only records the audio of what is being said but also includes a recording of the handwriting that you are doing.

Audacity– A,P,S,T

Software allowing for the mixing and editing of audio tracks to create a new product. Also allows for recording.

Programming:

Scratch – S,T

Scratch is a programming language utilizing a visual approach to understanding programming syntax through puzzle pieces. Scratch was developed by MIT.

Code Academy – S,T

Code Academy is a great introduction or next step website if you have explored with Scratch. A variety of programming languages are presented in easy to use modules to learn.

Google Apps Scripts – A,S,T

An introduction to the Google Apps Scripting language which allows you to automate and perform tasks with Google Docs.

Resources/Programs:

Evernote – A,P,S,T

A program that simply remembers everything. A note creation software that allows for the creation of notes with various types of content that synchs across all of your devices.

Postach.io – A,P,S,T

Postach.io is a blogging platform (This website runs off of it!) that takes advantage of Evernote and creates blog posts from your notes found within Evernote. This webpage is an example of a note.

Wikipedia – A,P,S,T

An online Wikipedia that has been crowd sourced and created by the users.

Flickr – Creative Commons – A,P,S,T

Pictures uploaded by the Flickr Community taking advantage of various Creative Commons licensing that allow for reuse with restrictions based on the license type.

Khan Academy – P,S,T

Ted Talks – A,P,S,T

Wordle – A,P,S,T

EDCAMP – Columbus March 1st 2014 – A,P,S,T

EDCAMP – Cleveland 2014 Date TBA – A,P,S,T

Edcamp is a form of professional development that does not have a preset agenda or topics. The agenda and topics for the day are set in the first hour of the event and are created by the participants. The Edcamp model is known as an unconference.

You can read more about Edcamp here

Twitter

Twitter is a great platform for collecting and sharing with other educators. Topics of discussion often have scheduled times where questions surrounding a topic are discussed. #ohedchat is a discussion of Ohio Education that occurs on Monday’s at 9 PM. Twitter can also be the foundation for professional learning networks. More information on #ohedchat

Technology Leadership – Resources and More

**Vision of Educational Technology Leadership:**
Educational technology leadership is not the responsibility of a lone individual or department but instead the responsibility of the administration, teachers, parents and students.  We all have different skills and experiences that we have developed over time and it is the responsibility of all to help develop the skills of those around us.  As we work to develop those skills for ourselves and others, professional development needs to be at the forefront and included in every thing we do.  It will be through professional development at the start and continued professional development that we will be able to utilize the tools and technologies at our disposal to be successful in the 21st century.  This will look different for every one but that is the point, there is not a one size fits all model in today’s world.
**Standards:**
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a membership organization that aims to empower connected learners in a connected world.  ISTE has an annual conference with the location changing each year that focuses on technology, integration, classroom instruction and much more.
ISTE has developed a set of standards that they state are the standards for learning, teaching and leading in the digital age.  The standards developed by ISTE are unique in the fact they have standards for Students, Teachers, Administrators, Coaches and Computer Science Teachers.
The utilization of the ISTE standards along with the Ohio Technology Standards provide a solid foundation of the skills expected of all stakeholders in the world today.  The important thing to note here is that these standards are not stand alone standards but can be integrated into other academic content areas.
**Videos:**
A review of transformational leadership and the challenges surrounding the implementation of change and leadership within an organization.
A creative look at how an every day item such as glass and technology come together to create a new product.  Is this a product that will become as common as the microwave, dishwasher or television in our everyday lives.
Sir Ken Robinson takes a look at how schools kill creativity instead of fostering it’s development.
Sir Ken Robinson discusses how we are on the brink of a learning revolution.
Sir Ken Robinson discusses the education paradigm and how we need to change it to be successful.
**Reading:**
**Resources:**
Resources listed below will be designated by the following codes:  **A** – Administration, **P** – Parents, **S** – Students and **T** – Teachers.
**Utilities/Hardware:**
Screen Capturing – **A,P,S,T**
This is a presentation on one of many screen capturing programs that are available.  The ability to screen capture a step by step process or take a screen shot allows you to communicate in a manner that is visual.  Another screen capturing program to take a look at is Skitch
Google Maps – **A,P,S,T**
You may have used Google Maps to plot your course from Point A to Point B but there is so much more you can do with Google Maps including creating your own maps with points of interest.
Google Docs (Drive) – **A,P,S,T**
Google Docs (Drive) is a free web based suite of office productivity applications.  The ability to share and collaborate with others in real time is at the base of the feature set.  It also has the ability to convert documents of varying types to a Google Doc format.  More advanced uses of the office suite allow for the creation of scripts designed to accomplish various tasks.
Google Sites – **A,P,S,T**
An easy to use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web editor that allows for the creation of websites.  Basic site construction is easily achieved but through the power of Google you can integrate into the site items such as Maps, Docs, Youtube Videos and more.
Livescribe – **A,P,S,T**
Livescribe is a pen on steroids.  The Livescribe pen through it’s special dot paper not only records the audio of what is being said but also includes a recording of the handwriting that you are doing.
Audacity– **A,P,S,T**
Software allowing for the mixing and editing of audio tracks to create a new product.  Also allows for recording.
**Programming:**
Scratch – **S,T**
Scratch is a programming language utilizing a visual approach to understanding programming syntax through puzzle pieces.  Scratch was developed by MIT.
Code Academy – **S,T**
Code Academy is a great introduction or next step website if you have explored with Scratch.  A variety of programming languages are presented in easy to use modules to learn.
Google Apps Scripts – **A,S,T**
An introduction to the Google Apps Scripting language which allows you to automate and perform tasks with Google Docs.
**Resources/Programs:**
Evernote – **A,P,S,T**
A program that simply remembers everything.  A note creation software that allows for the creation of notes with various types of content that synchs across all of your devices.
Postach.io – **A,P,S,T**
Postach.io is a blogging platform (This website runs off of it!) that takes advantage of Evernote and creates blog posts from your notes found within Evernote.  This webpage is an example of a note.
Wikipedia – **A,P,S,T**
An online Wikipedia that has been crowd sourced and created by the users.
Pictures uploaded by the Flickr Community taking advantage of various Creative Commons licensing that allow for reuse with restrictions based on the license type.
Khan Academy – **P,S,T**
Ted Talks – **A,P,S,T**
Wordle – **A,P,S,T**
EDCAMP – Columbus March 1st 2014 – **A,P,S,T**
EDCAMP – Cleveland 2014 Date TBA – **A,P,S,T**
Edcamp is a form of professional development that does not have a preset agenda or topics.  The agenda and topics for the day are set in the first hour of the event and are created by the participants.  The Edcamp model is known as an unconference.
You can read more about Edcamp here
Twitter is a great platform for collecting and sharing with other educators.  Topics of discussion often have scheduled times where questions surrounding a topic are discussed.  #ohedchat is a discussion of Ohio Education that occurs on Monday’s at 9 PM.  Twitter can also be the foundation for professional learning networks.  More information on #ohedchat

2013 OAPCS State Conference – Evernote and Postach.io Presentation

I promised those that attended the presentation I would post it to the website so here is the presentation. I am working on recording it but my voice which was disappearing during the presentation has further disappeared so it might be a few days before I can record it.

2013 OAPCS State Conference – Evernote and Postach.io Presentation

2013 OAPCS State Conference – Evernote and Postach.io Presentation

I promised those that attended the presentation I would post it to the website so here is the presentation.  I am working on recording it but my voice which was disappearing during the presentation has further disappeared so it might be a few days before I can record it.
[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHwVPq9MdCA&feature=youtu.be” width=“100%” height=“400″]
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