LC3- AR reflection

Having lost my student teacher, I am back to full time teaching. It was so great to have the kids back. I missed them so much. I missed teasing them, talking with them, and watching them grow and learn. It was so hard to remove myself and become a “bystander” to their learning while helping Randon grow as a teacher and learner. To transfer my focus from 30 to 1 was a challenging task. I am still wondering how well it all went. I think it was hard on all of us, but over the long term, will be something we are all better for.

Interestingly, after Randon was done student teaching, I talked to the kids about taking away the No D policy and multiple redos. They were adamantly against it. In fact, many of the kids were not comfortable with going back to a traditional approach to learning. I wonder what will happen with them next year. How are they going to succeed next year in classes where there are enforced deadlines and no redos? Have I set them up for failure? Or can I look at this in a positive light wondering that if they now know how to succeed and learn best, will they apply those skills into other classes? Will they advocate for themselves in their future classes letting their teachers know how they learn best? So we are continuing on with these policies in place and the kids still in charge of their grade and learning.

I also wonder for myself what I am going to do next year. Will I try this again? Will I take away the D and have multiple redos? How will the kids respond? Will they be as engaged and interested? Will they want to be participants? Can I do this again?

The rest of this semester the kids have been working on coming back to me. It has been a welcome transition I think for them, but they are readjusting after struggling at times with classroom management policies that were in place with Randon and now switching back to the way I run the classroom. I am planning on taking their pictures and doing some wordle.net work them this week for my final presentation. I am asking them to give me one word that describes the change in them, in the class, and the change in learning. I want to take these words and their images creating some works of art to display at my presentation creating more of a gallery approach rather than a traditional poster board. Hopefully my art metaphor will carry over into all things. My vision is of frames of them as art work with charts, data, and words as art work as well. We will see if I can get it all to come together without it being tacky or overwhelming.
The mode for the next few weeks is working on my presentation, cleaning up my website (adding images and quotes), and doing lots of reading.

Read More

LC3-1

Last nights first LC meeting of the last semester of our OMET program was desperately needed. I think many of us are facing this last semester with trepidation and excitement. We can see the end in sight, but there is much work to be completed before all the hard work pays off.

We discussed what this next semester is going to focus on and I really appreciated hearing about our readings, expectations, and assignments going forward. I am especially excited about the idea of creating our ideal job and then interviewing with one of our classmates to get that job. I think this is a prime example of a real world application of learning. This is the kind of activity I try and create for my students where their learning is applied to a new situation. Also, there is a great measure of creativity here. We get to think about our ideal job- what would we do? What would we be responsible for? What changes could we make to the world? I am excited to learn who I will be paired with and start working towards designing my ideal job (right now I have no idea) and thinking about where that job would be and what I would be doing. I think talking this out with some people that know me best would be a good idea to flush out some thoughts. Luckily MR is sending us information about this assignment with interview tips and suggestions for designing our ideal jobs.

We also talked about presentations/ exhibitions in June. This is something that has been weighing on my mind for some time. I really want to do my best and impress not only my colleagues but myself as well. I remember watching the presentations from last year and hearing people say that some of the presentations were mind blowing. I want to hear that about mine. It was really helpful to get some clarification on what all of this is going to look like. I like the idea of presenting with our group all focusing on similar ideas/ topics/ venues of AR work. I think that lends itself to a nice cohesive presentation. I have already started working on my presentation (more the visuals that I want to use). I think I am going to use some charts and graphs, but I want to remain consistent and steadfast with the use of the emerging works of art metaphor- Creating more successful learners. We did a great exercise last night playing with verb choices that reflect our metaphor. MR did this with me first semester, but I would like to spend some more time with my LC exploring this.

Going forward, I think I will continue spending time figuring out my presentation, planning my exhibition board, and contemplating what my future job will be. Also, I will be reading, reading, reading, and umm…reading. I like the idea that we are going to be exclusively in Google Sites. I think this will be an excellent change into using one platform for all things OMET. I am doing something similar in my own classes and would like to see ways that I can expand my classroom by the work that we are doing in LC’s.

Read More

HP ProBook 4510s

A laptop is one of the most important pieces of equipment a person needs, especially if you are always on the road traveling for business reasons. But finding an affordable laptop that has all the features you need for your business is no easy task.

well HP's new laptop, the ProBook 4510s, is perfect for any traveling businessman by offering substance as well as style at a reasonable cost. The ProBook is HP's entry-level computer for business users. The laptop has a black, glossy lid which is prone to fingerprints, a glossy keyboard, a speaker strip lining the top of the laptop as well as a satin palm rest. The ProBook has a thin bezel which is easy to focus. An interesting design feature is the turquoise blue glow that emanates from the QuickLook 2 buttons, the power button, and LED lights on the system and if black isn't your style and you are looking for a hotter look, the ProBook also comes in red, or Merlot, as HP calls it.

The ProBook also has a good size to it. It measures 15.6 inches and weighs about 5.6 pounds. It has a 16:9 display with a wide footprint of 14.6 x 9.8 inches and 1.2 to 1.5 inch thickness. The ProBook is also the first laptop from HP to have island-style keys which makes for a more refined look. The slight texture to the keys, which are also scratch resistant, have a nice finish and are spaced apart comfortably. The touchpad, which measures 3.3 x 1.7 inches, has a rubber-like surface which gives the perfect amount of friction but the buttons on the touchpad are different from traditional ones. The touchpad buttons on the ProBook only depress at the end closest to the user. It kind of gives the feeling of pressing a piano key, which some people may like or dislike.

The 15.6 inch display is bright with an LED backlight and has a matte finish that provides really good viewing angles. The sound system varies depending on what you are listening to. Video clips and movies sound good whereas music was faint, even at max volume.

Considering this is a business computer, the ProBook 4510s has a plethora of ports for all of your needs. It comes with Ethernet and modem jacks, a Kensington Lock slot, headphone and mic ports, one VGA output, one HDMI output, and four USB 2.0 slots. For low-profile broadband cards, the ProBook comes with an Expresscard/34 slot and also has a 5-in-1 memory card reader. Another interesting design feature is that none of these ports are located on the back of the laptop, aside from the memory card reader, mic ports, and headphone ports which are located on the front, all the ports are located on the sides. The ProBook also comes with a good battery life. The six0cell battery lasts you around four and a half hours which is longer lasting than the average laptop by about 70 mins. There is also an optional eight-cell battery upgrade which claims to add 34% more battery life at a $10 fee.

All in all this computer is perfect for anybody on the road constantly for business trips, meetings, or one who is just in the habit of traveling. A definite recommendation for anyone looking for an affordable business laptop.

Read More

Last Lecture- The Final Project

The final semester for seniors (and for teachers, too) is always a challenging one to keep everyone motivated and on task. When I think of some of the activities I have created in order to keep the kids focused on their learning and not on holding down a beach chair, I wonder how effective and meaningful these projects were. This year I decided to start the semester off a little differently and a little more challenging. Rather than focusing on a question that dealt specifically with a thematic topic connecting all the pieces of literature, I challenged my students to answer the question “What’s the Point?” Under that mind blowing question, student needed to consider why we are reading the assigned texts, what relevance do they have towards their own lives, and what messages are the authors trying to send to us all? What’s the point of their final semester of the senior year of high school?

At the beginning of the semester, Lauren Lee (formerly Gaffney), told me of an assignment she was thinking of asking her students to complete. The task was to have our students write his/her own last lectures mimicked after Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture. During Pausch’s speech he reminisces about important and seemingly unimportant aspects of his life growing up and how each of these elements influenced the person he became. He ends the entire motivational speech with humor, tears, and lessons we should all take away. He didn’t write this last lecture for us, but for his kids.

Lauren and I talked about how their speech should be structured and what elements we wanted to have it contain. At first we thought the speech should be around ten minutes, but realizing how much time that would take to complete each students’ speech, we decided to narrow down the time. We decided on three parts to their speech: reflections on the past, lasting legacy to Arapahoe High School, and looking forward (what do you want in the next year, five years, ten years). Having the central question “What’s the Point?” helped focus the students on what they wanted their speech to say to the audience.

The first two segments of their speech were to be turned in at the end of each six week grading period. I commented on the written papers, and then the students met with me or my student teacher individually for one on one conferences. On a side note, one to one conferences are far more meaningful than any written feedback. After the second part of their speech was written, we discussed during their writing conference how they would bring together all three parts of their speech. What was going to be their focus or central theme? What is the lasting message they wanted the audience to have from them? We brainstormed during this session mapping out some possibilities of bringing all the parts of their written speech together into one cohesive, inspirational 5-7 minute speech- knock your socks off quality. Also, I wrote my own last lecture delivering the segments to my students for their review and feedback. Here are the first and second segments. This was really challenging to put my thoughts, ideas and writing out there for my students to not only to read, but to comment upon as well. As Karl reminds me, it is important that whatever we ask our students to do, that we are willing to do the same assignment ourselves.

Before finals, students are not only going to be giving their last lecture to our class, but we are going to tape and U Stream out their speeches for their families, friends, and the world of course, to see what these wonderful talented and charismatic kids have to say. I am anxiously waiting to see how it all comes together. The students agreed to this rubric to assess their speech. Hopefully, as they have done before, the kids will rise to the challenge realizing what an incredible opportunity this is to leave a lasting impression on their peers, teachers, and world to let everyone know what is important, meaningful, and relevant to each and everyone of these kids.

If you are interested in watching the last lectures, keep an eye on The Fischbowl for times and the Ustream link. Also, there will be blog posts on our class blog to comment on each individual speech. We are asking commenters to leave feedback about the presentation and to be every careful about how they comment regarding topics the presenter discusses.

The following students have signed up for presentation dates and times: (all presentations will occur during fourth hour which meets from 10:35- 11:34 am MST).

May 6:
Steven W
Rick M
Lauren B
Hailey M
Taylor S
Lauren L

May 8:
Adrienne B
Katie M
Kevin N
Shelli Marr
Jordan S
Jake F

May 11:
Eric L
Drew B
Anna P
Brittney W
Sara B
Patrick B

May 13:
Kendra S
Tom B
Will B
Kaitlyn W
Mackenzie L

May 15: (Juniors only)
Molly
Irene L
Sara E
Kim
Kaitlyn R
Katie O

Read More

New Mebius Netbook with a 4" LCD Touchpad

On paper the Mebius NJ70A from Sharp looks just like any other Netbook on the market. Its basically your average 10.1" Netbook with an Atom N270 CPU, Intel 945GSE Express Chipset, 1024x600 display, 160GB Harddrive, and a web cam. However, Sharp is adding something that you wouldn't normally expect on a traditional netbook, a 4 inch optical sensor LCD with LED backlight and a 854x480 resolution.

While the Netbook itself is pretty standard, its LCD multitouch trackpad has caused quite a buzz in the mobile world. The new screen works just like any regular track pad in that it allows you to control cursor but is much more interactive. You use either your finger or a stylus to write memos, e-mails, and short messages with handwriting recognition, play piano, zoom in and out of documents, watch video, and much more. As of now this Netbook is expected to ship during the month of June and will be available for purchase in Japan.

Read More

Wireless Now Standard With Laptop Rentals

In order to keep up with the times people need technology that's able to keep up with them. This general need for mobile technology coupled with the fact that Technology Rentals are widely available for everyone has caused the popularity of Laptop Rentals to sky rocket. Whether you need a Laptop for an important business meeting, the ability to work from home, or simply to stay connected while on vacation then you should consider a Wireless Laptop Rental.

When ordering from the Tech Army you can always expect a great price. Right now you can get a wireless laptop rental from the Tech Army PX for only $89! This is probably the least expensive laptop rental you will find on the net.

Click here for detains on a $89 Wireless Laptop Rental from the Tech Army PX.

If you are a specialist in the IT Industry and are looking to be a part of something better, then you should check out our international community of installers, engineers, and technicians at the Tech Army.

Read More

Dell introduces new Vostro laptops

Starting April 2nd, Dell will make available its new Vostro laptop model. Redesigned Vostro laptops include the 13.3-inch Vostro 1320, the 15.4-inch Vostro 1520, and the 17-inch Vostro 1720.

The new Vostro models are aimed at business users looking to take advantage of the built in videoconferencing software and webcam, which may be more attractive in today's economic climate where traveling is kept to a minimum.

Click here if you are interested in a Dell Laptop Rental

Read More