My deliciously low-tech exhibition project

Poster projects and book projects. Some things NEVER grow old.

Memphis City Schools Gates Cloze

Memphis City Schools Gates Cloze

Using Google Forms again, but this time for my own graduate studies. Please help out and complete the survey!!! You'll be able to see what everybody else has put at the end.

I pressed the Hot Button!

'Hot Button' readers respond: Should the school year be longer? : Memphis Commercial Appeal: "An extended school year is unnecessarily troublesome. Rather, extend the days. I think every Memphis City Schools student ought to have a daily study hall, so they'll have some quiet time to process the large amount of information they receive daily.

Aaron Fowles"


I was published! I do think that an extended day that builds in time for student reflection rather than just more input would be beneficial to the students. While I wouldn't look forward to managing a study hall in this city, I'm sure that each school could arrange a method to give each student the environment they need to study and work. I don't have a homeroom, so I'd be willing to cover a study hall.

I fear, though, that no matter which method of increasing instructional time is chosen, the difference will be one merely of quantity and not quality.

Screencasting

I decided to give screencasting a try. Memphis City Schools blocks Youtube, so I tried teachertube at first, but they scaled the video oddly and it ended up blurry. I put it up on Vimeo and so far, it's looking good. I still wish we could just access youtube.

Monday work from Aaron Fowles on Vimeo.

Backpack computing

Thanks to the computersforlearning.gov website, my school may be receiving 13 Compaq iPaq handhelds (waiting on principal's ok). I couldn't resist. My vision for these is to chuck them all in a backpack, add a wireless router, then release it to the school. I can imagine:

• a science classroom where each lab group reports their results on a Google Form
  
• a math classroom where groups work with spreadsheets
  
• an english classroom where kids (with keyboard attachments) write collaboratively
  
• an internet fact-finding mission where kids all search for a particular fact about a topic
  

I'm a little backwards on this one. Usually, I try to use the technology to solve a problem or address a need. In this case, however, I just saw the available tech and am struggling to make it relevant. Perhaps not the best idea in the world, but it might impact some kids somewhere.

Ideas for Google Wave in the Classroom

Google Wave has been out long enough now that I think I can start using it in the classroom. I've invited all of my students and most of the invites have gone through. Now all I have to do is figure out what I'm going to do with it.

1. (Stolen from Teachpaperless) A running learning log
2. Keeping track of grades (would be helpful if spreadsheet functionality were included
3. A gradually unfolding online lesson
4. Realtime document collaboration (as cool as this is, it's getting a bit stale)
5. Inviting community expert participation
6. Dialogue journals
7. Your thoughts?

I like to think of Wave and email+chat+Docs, but I wonder if there is any other paradigm stuck in there that I'm missing.

Wiimote Whiteboard on Asus eee running Ubuntu 9.10

The video speaks for itself, but to elaborate on a few points:

1. Sorry I sound so geeky and nervous.
2. It's a demo video, not really a howto video.
3. I did everything I could to NOT use the word democratize
4. I think this technology has a great deal of potential for cash-strapped school districts.