Skype on the iPad

For many, Skype has become a essential communication tool. Using Skype on the iPad will not disappoint!

Last week I was collaborating with my friends from the Google Educast, a weekly podcast produced by the EdReach network. We hold semi-regular conference calls to discuss upcoming shows, using Skype as our communication platform. Typically I use my Macbook to connect, but this time I decided to try out my iPad.

The large iPad screen provides ample room to view and respond to instant messages sent via the Skype messenger. The call quality was exceptional despite the WiFi only connection. I was also very impressed by the quality of the microphone. Those on the other end of the line had not trouble hearing me. I tried listening and speaking with and without the use of earbuds without noticing any significant difference. I was very pleased that speaking without the earbuds did not result in any distortion or feedback looping as it frequently does when using other computers.

For voice conferencing I would highly recommend the use of Skype on the iPad. Download the Skype App for free from the iTunes store.

Time, Attention, and Clear Thinking

In years gone-bye, information was a critical resource that determined success. Today, information is cheap and easily accessible by anyone with a web-enabled computer or mobile device. Access to information is no longer a distinguishing factor. The critical skills that determine success today are time, attention, and clear thinking.

Time

Photo by canardo via Flickr

Everyone has the same number of hours in the day. It doesn't matter if your are Warren Buffet or someone living in a third-world country. You have the same amount of time. What differentiates successful and not-so-successful people is their ability to use their time effectively. Technology makes it possible to leverage the time that we are given to achieve more than was previously possible. Technology also allows us to create and sell products that are independent of time. Consider the story of this independent French developer who is pulling in $200k/year on the development of several games he developed for iOS devices. The time that he spent developing these Apps has was leveraged through the Web economy.



Attention

Photo by Lulu Hoeller via Flickr 

While brain capacity varies from person to person, we all have the ability to concentrate our available mental ability on a difficult problem or question that can add potential value to ourselves or other people. The old saying that "if it was easy someone else would have done it by now" is very appropriate. While technology has solved some challenges, it has created many others.

There are many prizes, competitions, and contests which reward focused attention on a difficult problem or idea:

• The Netflix Prize: a quest to improve the Netflix recommendation algorithm. Hundreds of teams worked for over two years for a $1 million dollar award which was presented in 2009. 
• "Project 10 to the 100": a challenge sponsored by Google to come up with solutions to some of the world's most challenging problems (energy, education, housing, environment, health, etc). 16 ideas were chosen and the public voted for the top five ideas, each of which received $2 million to implement the idea. 
• TED Prize: the core goal of TED is to award creative thinkers and innovators for their work in solving difficult problems or improving life around the world. Each winner is awarded $100,000 and allowed to make one wish, which the well-connected TED attendees excitedly make a reality. 

The ability to stay focused and committed to finding a solution to a problem is one thing that separates the good from the great. When solutions are not obvious and require effort to discover, most give up. 

Clear Thinking

The Shallows, by Nicholas Carr, is a book about how technology is changing the way that we think, and not for the better.

"When we go online, we enter an environment that promotes cursory reading, hurried and distracted thinking, and superficial learning...The Net's cacophony of stimuli short-circuits both conscious and unconscious thought, preventing our minds from thinking either deeply or creatively." 

Information is no longer a limiting resources. We all have access to far more information than we will ever need. It is very easy to continue the accumulation of information without ever acting on that information in a useful way. If unchecked, the accumulation of information can lead to confusion, information paralysis, and procrastination. No amount of information will lead us to make the perfect decision. Eventually, we must make a decision and move forward.

Having the discipline to turn off the flow of information and think clearly and deeply about the problem at hand in light of available information is the mark of a leader.

*********

I write these things because I struggle with them:

• I never have enough time in the day to act on the ideas that I generate. 
• My mind races from task to task, idea to idea, like a crazed internet surfer clicking on hyperlinks.
• I am an information junky and have trouble turning off the tap. 

ScreenChamp Finalist!

I love Google Apps and use them with my students all the time. One day, on a whim, I decided to do a screen capture of the growth of a collaborative story that my 9th grade students wrote using Google Docs. Several months later TechSmith, the makers of Camtasia, Jing and SnagIt, launched the "ScreenChamp" competition in an effort to choose the best screen capture video on the web.


The video of my students (below) is one of 15 finalist! Voting opened yesterday and extends though December 15. I would appreciate your vote and (by extension) a vote for Google Docs in the Classroom!



Link to Vote: http://polldaddy.com/poll/5481955

2011 Virtual School Symposium Recap

2011 iNACOL Virtual School Symposium

This week I attended the 2011 Virtual School Symposium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Over 1,900 educators interested in online learning were in attendance.

After participating in numerous workshops led by a variety of administrators and educators as well as listening to keynote addresses from Susan Patrick (president of iNACOL) and representatives from the Department of Education, and speaking with vendors I came away with the follow thoughts:

1. K-12 Online learning is in a state of great flux. Very few things that are currently being done or products that are currently being sold will be around in the next 3-5 years.

2. Variety and Flexibility is Limited. Vendors have given large school districts what they asked for-- turn key solution for online programs. The problem is that these solutions are not meeting the needs of smaller programs. Assembling a program from the best offerings of multiple vendors is not currently an option due to the restrictive and proprietary systems that companies have created.

3. Hardware and Software vendors are not working together. Online learning resources are being developed using Java and Flash technologies. Apple and Google, are resistant to support of these products. iOS devices won't run flash and Google's new Chromebook doesn't support client-side Java.

Posing with the Brain Honey Bee!

4. Data is not portable. Lots of data on student achievement, progress, and activity is being collected however very little of this data can/is being used in useful ways. LMS systems collect all kinds of information but teachers and administrators are having a difficult time mining and filtering that data to better understand student needs. Moving data between systems is virtually impossible.

5. The US is behind. Many of the best innovations in education related to online learning are from outside of the United States. Check out the interesting and exciting things being done by Heritage Christian Schools (Canada) and the Sydney Center for Innovation in Learning (Australia).

There is great consensus that online learning will have a significant impact on learning in the next 20 years. Drops in student achievement, graduation rates, and school finance challenges underscore the need for significant change. It's clear, however, the the online learning industry is far from mature.

2011 Virtual School Symposium

This week I am hanging out in Indianapolis at the Virtual School Symposium sponsored by the International Association for K12 Online Learning (iNACOL).

Today I let an all day pre-conference on Google Apps for Education. It was a lively group and I enjoyed working with Cindy Lane and Andy Crozier, two Google Apps experts!

Tomorrow the conference begins and I have a full slate of sessions on my agenda. Here's my planned scheduled along with a few comments of my own.

For liver conference updates, follow #vss11

Thursday Sessions:

• Current Research on Developing Effective Teachers for Online and Blended Learning
• Inducting New Hires-Transitioning Brick and Mortar Practitioners for Success in the Online Environment
• Online School and Service Learning: A Perfect Blend
• The Empowered School Leader
• How to Ensure Quality in Your Digital Learning Program
• Top Ten Tech Tools to Try Tomorrow! 

Friday Sessions:

• "Be Careful! What you Measure is What You Get! " Performance Pay and Evaluation System for Online Teachers
• How to make personalized learning collaborative
• Importance of Fostering Online School Communities
• Private Schools- Trends and Projections Related to Technology
• The Demographics of Online Learners
• Enabling Rapid Growth of Successful Blended Learning Models
• Get Your Head in the Clouds! Making the Most of Cloud Computing Tools for Online Learning
• Access to and Usage of Virtual Education and Online Learning in Michigan High Schools
• Mentoring Program for Online Teachers

Teaching Search on the iPad

Despite the "magic" of the iPad, it has been difficult to find classroom applications that are easy to implement given the constraints of a 50 minute class period and the unpredictability of 25+ students, wireless connectivity issues, etc.  The 1:1 iPad program at my school has required creative thinking and realistic expectations.

One assignment that has great potential is using the iPad (or any other mobile web-connected device) to search the web. Searching is a skill that must students are ill equipped to do effectively. This is how most students search the internet:

1. Type in the exact question you are trying to answer. Typically this is copied directly off of a worksheet or some other class hand out. Little or no thought is given to the construction of the search query. Just type the question in the box.
2. Look at the first 1-4 results. If the answer isn't given in the snippet on the search page, then it probably isn't there. The average student will never scroll through search results and will certainly not visit page 2. Frequently the "answer" that is found is incorrect or inaccurate. Few students actually verify information by looking at a second or third source.
3. If the answer is not found, it's not on the internet.

The method described above is NOT effective. Searching is a critical thinking activity that requires students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information. These are the higher-order thinking skills listed at the top of Bloom's Taxonomy. If searching is a critical thinking activity, why not incorporate it into your classroom? Here are some suggestions.



The presentation below was collaboratively built on the invitation of UK Educator Tom Barrett.



The presentation below was collaboratively built on the invitation of Blogger and EdTech Consultant Benjamin Friesen

Google Moderator in the Classroom

Mr. Aaron Hammers uses Google Moderator in his
10th Grade Bible class each week. 

Google Moderator is a simple crowd-sourcing tool that makes it possible to better understand the thoughts, idea, questions, or motivations of a group, crowd, or audience. One of the best things about Google Moderator is that it is simple. There aren't many buttons to click and it doesn't overwhelm you with features and options.

For a more detailed overview Google Moderator I would encourage you to read my previous post.

This year my school began a 1:1 iPad program in the high school. We provided our staff with a considerable amount of training on how to use the iPad and possible classroom applications. We did not, however, specify exactly how we wanted teachers to use the iPad in the classroom; we left implementation up to them.

We are now into the second quarter of our school year. The newness of the iPad has worn off and many of our original ideas on how to implement the iPad into the classroom have failed due to technical challenges or overall complexity in a classroom setting. Some idea, however, are going very well, engaging students and extending classroom learning. One such idea is the application of Google Moderator in the Bible class or Mr. Aaron Hammers.

Mr. Hammers uses Google Moderator every week in his 10th grade New Testament Survey class. Student post and vote on questions during the first 15 minute of class. Mr. Hammers then spends the remainder of the class period answer the posted questions in order of popularity based on class voting. View the video below for a glimpse of this process and an interview with Mr. Hammers.

iPads in the Classroom Conference Photos

Here are some photos from the iPads in the Classroom conference sponsored by MACUL.