The Mind of a Child

The Yin and the Yang of the e-Book Revolution

2012-02-09T19:09:00.000-05:00

a.k.a. Why I Don't Like Textbooks... in any form, and What To Do About it.

At the moment there's a lot of attention being drawn to Apple's new offerings on the e-book front; specifically, iBooks Author is a powerful new app available for free (to Lion users, or those who want to get around that small detail) which makes it easy to create slick, polished e-books filled with interactive features such as audio, video, interactive photos and graphics, as well as a host of other gadgets and widgets.

This is definitely a FTW moment for teachers, students, photographers, plumbers, absolutely anyone who has just about any content to share.
More important than that, however, are the changes to Apple's iTunes store, which will allow just about anyone to offer their shiny new e-books to the world, either for free or at a cost set by the author.

Absolutely fantastic.
No longer will our selection of books be filtered by the whims/market research of the giant publishing companies, or even the smaller ones. Now everyone can be their own independent publisher; a democratization of publishing that will level the field and (hopefully) allow social media mechanisms to identify the true markets and opportunities.Think of the Podcast offerings now available on the iTunes store, and multiply that by a factor of 10, to include anyone who didn't think they had the voice and/or face to publish a podcast.
I can't wait.

But wait.
I see and I hear educational administrators getting excited about all the new e-book content being offered by the big textbook publishers.
Interactive textbooks with animations and videos... yes!
Much lighter to carry in student backpacks... yes!
Ability to annotate, and make study notes, and share notes... yes!
DRM terms that prevent sharing of the e-book, or re-use of it from year to year... what?
License terms, subscription models, all designed to lock schools into a legacy cashflow model... what?
Even my own (admittedly limited) investigation of an e-book solution for our school library could find no solution that would avoid a situation in which a title would be unavailable to students because all of the "copies" could be "checked out". The solution, as offered by both vendors we're looking into: buy more copies.
Of course.
In fact, as of right now, it seems this model doesn't even sit well with one of those giant publishers and its relationship with libraries.

For me, the promise of this technology is the promise of moving away from the traditional notion of a textbook: static information, filtered, edited, "owned" by a publisher with ridiculous costs associated with it. The way e-textbooks look right now, the only real gain is in the student backpack loadouts: We'd still be paying for static information (albeit interactive), filtered, edited, "owned" by a publisher, and the ridiculous costs are now in the DRM and licensing terms that come with it. So, whether it contains all the interactive bells and whistles or not, it seems that at the end of the day, an e-textbook is still a textbook.

And what's wrong with textbooks?
So many things.

There are some excellent articles and talks on this topic, only one of which I'd like to highlight below, but the main problem with textbooks is that they represent facts or events presented from a single point of view: The publisher's. And of course, we all know that the raison d'etre of publishers is, at the end of the day, financial gain.
Pedagogically speaking, this is a pretty big problem: Information presented in textbooks is typically taken as "fact", meaning that the role of thinking, evaluating, filtering, judging, what we collectively term Critical Thinking, is completely absent when these are used. Nowhere is this more true than with math textbooks, which not only provide "answers" in the back, but I have yet to experience an answer section devoid of errors.

As one line from the above-embedded Apple video says, "You don't have to do anything."
Not even think.

It's tough to say which are more abhorrent to good pedagogy, those STEM subject texts, or the Social Sciences. Should one publisher's point of view really be taken as "fact" in the presentation of, for example, historical world events?While this may have been acceptable before the dawn of the information age due to purely practical/logistical reasons, it's just not good enough now.

What's my solution?
Glad you asked.

In the past, like I said, we accepted the word of the textbook as gospel, since there was little other choice.
Now, our choices runneth over.
Now, with any given topic, a good teacher can direct their students to multiple, first-hand points of view on any topic worldwide.
Translation tools have eliminated most language barriers, truly freeing content from "ownership" by anyone.
Multiple methods for solving problems, international viewpoints, individual accounts from citizens on the ground, experts from industries and educators worldwide are all available now to the resourceful teacher and student.
If that all sounds like something that doesn't really fit neatly between the virtual pages of an e-book, or can be covered by some sort of annual subscription, you're absolutely right.
Nor should it ever be.

That's right, I said it: Knowledge should be free, both literally and figuratively.

Of course, the role of the educator must necessarily shift, from strolling leisurely through a chapter per week to leading harrowing expeditions through the wilds of the information superhighways and myriad of social networks, to find and filter, examine and evaluate, develop and divine true meaning from all that is offered.
If that all sounds much harder than assigning one problem bank per week and taking it up every Friday, it sure is, and that's exactly what's wrong with using textbooks in classrooms.
Of course I'm aware of the limitations of timetabling and content, the curriculum that needs covering and standardized testing. These are incompatibilities to deal with, problems to solve, not reasons to stagnate.
Sure, there are educators out there who use textbooks (e- or otherwise) as just one in a long list of resources used to cover a topic, but I fear that those may be in the minority. Until we can educate our teachers out of this legacy use model of textbooks, and not be distracted by the gadgets and widgets offered by this new incarnation, we'll be stuck in a cycle of shuffling around information, instead of developing thinkers.

And that's why I don't like textbooks.

As always, I welcome your comments or feedback.

I love my new job.

A Fresh Look at Discipline

2011-12-07T00:30:00.001-05:00

a.k.a. What would Aristotle do?

I have often wondered about the coexistence of a zero tolerance policy with the restorative justice approach to student behaviour often found in schools. Although my thoughts typically come to rest on "they're irreconcilable", more often than not I've seen "restorative justice... sometimes".

As much as I do believe in the restorative system (disclaimer: I have not actually participated in the full certificate training course) we all know that this approach simply would not work for every case in a school environment, while at the same time I'm sure we can all think of cases for which it would be perfect. How can this be reconciled? I'll answer that later...

But first, the essential problem: Empathy, or lack thereof.

This is the virtue that the restorative approach seeks to instill in both the offender and the victim, getting the assailant to see and understand the hurt that has been inflicted, feel remorse and sincerely make amends, and having the assaultee understand and forgive the actions of the attacker. (Restorative certificate-holders, please correct me if I'm wrong here). Truly, if this Empathy were a more prevalent trait, not only would our schools be much nicer places but our entire country would be better off, wouldn't it? I dare say Yes, it would be.

Old School Discipline!

But that's not where we are, which is why a program like Restorative Justice attempts to inject Empathy as a reaction to behaviours that are symptomatic of its dearth.

I'm not saying that a 12-step program can't have an impact on someone, or profoundly change the way someone sees other people and the world; it's just not fair to put so much pressure on a reactionary behaviour management system, essentially asking it to compensate for a possibly profound character deficiency.

"So what's the answer Paul? How do we fix this? New board policy? New ministry legislation? New third-party program adoption?"

Well, yes and no. Follow me for a moment, please...

Boards have implemented and will continue to try new policies such as restorative justice or zero tolerance.

The ministry's new bill 157 (Keep Our Kids Safe at School Act, 2009) also makes a good attempt. It's not the first.

Programs like the Future Aces are also well-intentioned.

All of these, however, will ultimately fall short of the goal for two reasons:

1. At the end of the day, although these policies and programs may be in place at a school, they are not the focus of the school. The focus of schools remains schoolwork: test scores, graduation rates, grade averages.

2. At the end of the day students leave the school; parents, coaches, scout leaders, none of these independent groups can continue to deliver the consistency of behaviour response required to reinforce any school-based program.

This is not to say that the programs and policies and legislation are useless; certainly they are having a positive impact and are a "good thing".

But let's face it, if any one of them were really working, would we really need new ones so often?

At the risk of writing a regrettably long post, I feel it worth mentioning here that there are indeed school systems that do indeed focus on empathy and understanding, spending literally years of the students' lives developing their sense of self, respect for others, cooperation and other such qualities that I increasingly find myself decrying the lack of when observing students' behaviour. In fact, one in particular doesn't even give formal grades until somewhere around age 8 or 9; before that, it's strictly verbal assessments. No standardized tests. Ever. Reading and mathematics do not begin before age 7, "so as not to disrupt their childhood." But I digress...

Back to the matter of zero tolerance vs. restorative justice, and the answer to this question:

There is a clearly stated policy of progressive discipline in all the school boards I've experienced (4 so far), as well as a zero tolerance policy for many of the more serious infractions.

What would a system look like that allows for selective administration of all discipline?

This would be a system that had all the potential responses in place, including allowing for out-of-the-box, innovative solutions, but gives an administrator the freedom to fully exercise judgment of each case without being tied down by ministry mandates, precedents or policies; given the time to know each child within his purview, a principal should be expected to make a judgment on what each person deserves, even requires. If this is starting to sound familiar, it really should be, for what I'm talking about is nothing short of... wait for it...

a differentiated disciplinary system.

That's right: Differentiated Discipline.

And why not?
Meeting the needs of each "offender"; are these not learners as well? How does it make sense to differentiate learning for each child's needs, but mete out standardized responses to behaviour infractions? In fact, every behaviour "infraction" is itself nothing less than a learning opportunity, an overt gap in learning, that requires the proper teaching strategy.

What's required for this to happen?

Not much: Just wisdom.

It would indeed place administrators in the position of judge, and would indeed represent a significant increase in their responsibility.

But isn't it time that we started taking on some of the responsibility for the state of behaviour in schools, instead of relying on external methods or structures?
Can't we be trusted to "do the right thing"?

I fully realize the implications this train of thought could have on our systems, and not just the educational one at that.

For a very eloquent explanation of what this means for all of us, may I suggest this TED Talk by Barry Schwartz; I think you'll find it worth the 18 minutes of your life, even more so that the time it took you to reach this point in my post:

A couple of particularly relevant quotations from his talk:

"Dealing with other people demands a kind of flexibility that no set of rules can encompass."

"Rules and incentives are no substitute for wisdom; indeed... there is no substitute for wisdom."

I believe it's time to trust in the wisdom of the people running our schools, and would happily work alongside anyone who wants to develop a guideline for Differentiated Discipline.

As always, I welcome you to share your thoughts and opinions.

I love my job.

Leadership and Wellness

2011-11-28T20:00:00.001-05:00

"If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything."

(Count Rugen to Prince Humperdink, The Princess Bride, 1987)

So true Count, so true...

Although this would seem unrelated to the issue of leadership style, the way a leader treats those around him reflects his attitude towards wellness more than any memo or newsletter conveys.

It's important for any leader to model a healthy work-life balance in order to tacitly encourage wellness for the entire staff.

Casual talk or office artifacts related to outside interests or activities will not only help to spark discussions, make connections and build relationships with staff members, but set the tone for recognition that we all have lives outside of the work, and those lives are valued and can even be celebrated.

Many schools have a staffroom bulletin board or other such location dedicated to personal announcements or celebrations of staff members such as photos of children or grandchildren, sports accomplishments, recent travels, etc... Although this could easily be set up as an online space as well, which could allow for interactions such as discussions around items posted and contribute to the feeling of community within the school, care must be taken to ensure that everything posted, whether actual or virtual, remains within the bounds of professionalism.

The same electronic tools that can make us more efficient at our jobs can too easily lead to our jobs seeping into our personal lives. In order to avoid such common pitfalls, it might be useful to come up with a set of norms for yourself personally, as a family, or as a staff. Norms might include items such as: email should be checked before 5pm or after 9pm only while at home. In a school, principals can model and respect this by not sending any communications between those times.

Maintaining a good work-life balance is essential to the well-being of everyone on staff, and all of our leaders are responsible in no small way for helping everyone achieve that.

I love my job.

The Road Taken, Part 2

2011-11-08T10:48:00.002-05:00

So this is the beginning.

Although it’s only the end of my third week in the world ofindependent schools, it certainly feels like much longer. This may seem like an over-used phrase, butthe changes were not insignificant: completely different commute, a change in daily routines for myself andmy family, a completely different school “system” to learn, with its ownterminology and procedures, a radically different culture in more ways thanone, not to mention going to a place in which every single face is a strangerto begin with.

We're all on a tight schedule when it comes to Change

And yet, here I sit.

The importance of this observation is related to our work asleaders in any organization, and that phrase that gets so often used, “agent ofchange.” So very often leadershipdecisions are compromised with the disclaimer that it would be “too muchchange, too quickly”, or inaction is justified by “we’ve always done it thatway”. It is, in fact, remarkable howquickly people can adjust to a “new normal”, whether or not those changes weresought after or welcome at the time.

Now that I’ve effected a major change in my job, I have anew appreciation for the practice of school boards to keep principals moving,changing schools every few years; after all, if the leader of a school isunable to cope with change, how can they possibly be an effective agent ofchange themselves? How can theysincerely endorse any kind of change in their staff or procedures if they shyaway from change in their own lives?

Speaking of change, there is one thing that now stands outin my mind not for how different it is, but for how much it is the same from myprevious experiences. I’m not exactlysure what I was expecting from students, but for all the differences thatexist, this remains constant: Kids arekids: They still decorate lockers onbirthdays, talk and text in the halls, have occasional trouble logging in, andcause the occasional mischief. I guessit’s true about the more things change, the more they stay the same.

I love my new job.

The Road Taken

2011-10-21T10:24:00.000-04:00

So this is the end.

My 15-year journey in public education comes to an abrupt stop today, as I prepare to continue my pedagogical adventure in the world of independent schools come Monday morning.

A huge change, to be sure, both personally and professionally, and certainly not an easy decision: How does one go about applying assessment and evaluation strategies to both tangible and intangible factors such as job satisfaction, commuting distance, necessary changes in daily routines, time with family? Indeed how does one evaluate the quality of life?

As huge as this decision was, I can't help but to consider my own parents, and their sets of parents before them, all of whom decided at some point in their lives to leave behind everything they knew to travel to a different country across some sea for the chance at a better life. In that context, my own "huge" decision seems somewhat trite by comparison, but nonetheless must have felt something like what I'm feeling now: The apprehension and uncertainty, excitement and sadness, angst and longing.

My time here, particularly in my current role, has been the greatest job experience I can imagine! Both the work itself, and the incredible people I've had the fortune and privilege of working with combine to create a professional Shangri-La the likes of which I shall always look back upon with more than just fondness. It is a beautiful, terrible, wretched, elegant thing that has been created, and the mechanisms that comprise it's beauty at once are the architects of its true appreciation through the mandate of change.

But the journey continues.

We've all seen the over-used phrases about the number of times our current students will change jobs in their lifetimes. From where I now sit that does indeed seem like a completely different world than mine, in which leaving this one job for the next is the cause of such a verbose blog post. They must indeed be better at change than I; and that's the way it should be.

There are of course countless metaphors for the change that is upon me, including one scene from Episode 1 that has now grown in significance to me, in which the young Anakin leaves his home on Tatooine to go with a stranger for the promise of Jedi training.

At this point, however, I'd like to share with you one of my favourite poems from one of my favourite authors.

The Road Not Taken


TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;	5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,	10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.	15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.	20

AUTHOR: Frost, Robert, 1874–1963.

TITLE: Mountain interval, by Robert Frost.

PUBLISHED: New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1920.

ISBN: 1-58734-017-8.

I love my job.

One Take on Effective Staff Development

2011-10-06T12:12:00.000-04:00

a.k.a. Welcome to the 21st Century

What follows is a very, very brief overview of what staff development could look like in today's schools.

Time: Who has the time for it nowadays?

Some of the big roadblocks to traditional methods of staff development have remained unchanged for many years: time and resources.

If staff could spend the time to collaborate on planning, grading, feedback etc... it would be ideal.

If there were unlimited, high-quality resources available to them at any time, anywhere, it would be ideal as well.

Enter the digital age.

Mobile devices connected through a social network have the ability to solve these two issues while simultaneously addressing many of the Standards of staff development mentioned by the NSDC.

Case in point: Twitter.

As a microblogging platform, Twitter is completely free of charge for users. Also, the limited number of characters almost ensures that communications are quick and concise, unlike this post.

Used effectively, Twitter can become a highly selective, personalized filter for all that the Internet has to offer, such as resources to support a particular subject in a particular grade, even a particular teaching strategy or assessment methodology.

Many proficient Twitter users find the time to access their Twitter stream many times during the day, perhaps for 30 seconds at a time, reducing the need for arranging meetings simply for the purposes of sharing information, requests or resources.

Time to get with the times.

Learning Communities, Leadership, Resources, Designs and Strategies, Learning, Collaboration skills, Equity, Family involvement, all of these standards from the NSDC may be addressed through the effective use of this one service in a school environment.

In my ideal school environment this could look like an organized set of Twitter hashtags by division or subject or class, or all of those; Google+ circles intentionally assembled and overlapping; a series of teacher blogs, with sharing and feedback so everyone can benefit; yes, even Facebook pages set up for collaboration and sharing.

Precious face-to-face meeting time is spend receiving the PD already decided upon through the social network of staff, hands-on mentoring or team building activities.

Good snacks.

And that doesn't even begin to touch on the possibilities for transforming the student experience.

It does, however, presume a shift.

The shift in thinking involves the place of the mobile device in the learning community, as well as emphasizes collaboration as a key component.

Leveraging what we've already got.

Together we're better.

It's time.

That wasn't so hard now, was it?

I love my job.

Doing it Right: Apple Distinguished Educator Summer Institute 2011 (Canada)

2011-09-04T00:19:00.000-04:00

a.k.a. The best conference, like, ever...

It's a rare thing to be inspired, moved, motivated and humbled, energized and empowered so many times in a very short period of time. The Canadian Apple Distinguished Educator organization team has done it. Again.

One of the rooms we had at our disposal for
collaboration or presentations

I actually had some trepidation before this year's ADE Summer Institute; my introduction to the ADE ranks still fresh in my mind from last summer, the experience was so powerful I was certain this year's camp couldn't possibly live up to the expectations I'd formed in my mind.

Boy, was I wrong.

Apple seems to have come up with a magical formula for delivering an experience second to none. Some of the components include:

1. Full immersion: The 5-day event ensures there are no extraneous factors (work, family) that might detract from the focus of the event.

2. First-class accommodation: Both last year's and this year's hotels have been 4-star facilities in very desirable locations.

3. First-class food: Each and every meal was exquisite, with all special dietary considerations accommodated with class.

Daniel Cox and I

Posing with Joseph Linaschke

4. World-class guests: Chosen not because of any affiliation with Apple or education, guests are genuinely inspirational people who sometimes have little or nothing to do with Apple per se. Between last year and this year, the guest lineup featured world-renown photographers Joseph Linaschke (www.photojoseph.com), Daniel Cox (www.naturalexposures.com/), Canadian ultra-marathon runner Ray Zahab (www.rayzahab.com) and finally Canada's own Stephan Moccio (www.stephanmoccio.com/), perhaps best known for composing the Vancouver Olympic theme "I Believe".

Ultra-Marathon runner Ray Zahab

Stephan Moccio and I

These people, their stories, their work, can't help but inspire those around them to achieve more, be better; it would be a treat enough to hear them speak, but the experience of having a private audience with them (sometimes including three meals a day!), being able to interact with them on a personal level, is more than words can describe. Apple is able to create essentially the ideal environment through respecting participants as whole people, and not just for what we might be able to contribute.

Of course the institute itself is actually a working session, but it really doesn't feel like it; handpicked educators from across the country asked to collaborate on exciting and innovative projects, all in a gorgeous location and all the while being treated like royalty.
Yup, that's what work ought to be like!

Stanley Park by night

Olympic cauldron;
just add fire!

I suppose it's not really fair to compare this experience with other "conferences", but I haven't found anything yet that even exists in the same category.

It invigorates the mind.
It pampers the body.
It nourishes the soul.

I love my job.

All I need to know about grading I learned from the Shaolin monks

2011-07-04T14:12:00.000-04:00

a.k.a. "Another argument against traditional grading"

With the last day of school now a memory, it's nice to think of all those report cards all signed and copied, safely delivered to the waiting arms of anxious parents.

There's certainly been a lot of discussion about grading and its ability to accurately reflect the learning of students; inevitably this comes up in any talk about standardized testing, for one. Of course, anyone who's ever had to apply to a post-secondary institution knows the "importance" of grades, and how one decimal place can make the difference between "acceptance", in all of its altruistic and academic meaning, and not.
So let's talk about it once again: If schools are supposed to be preparing students for the Real World, let's see how that world handles evaluation: Job interviews, Teacher Performance Appraisals, Principal Performance Appraisals, choosing candidates for election, none of these evaluations include letter or percentage grades. In fact, even at the post-graduate level (I think), there's some sort of interview/defence and review of work; can one receive a C- on a doctorate?

There is one model of learning in which students are educated without grades of any kind:
Shaolin Kung Fu.

Back to school ~ Kung Fu style!

Yes, I really said it.
No, I'm not a graduate of it nor have I ever even seen one, but the model I'm referring to is indeed the one popularized by Hollywood: The silent, stoic monk who speaks in metaphors that belie great wisdom and even greater skill at beating up bad guys. I chose this deliberately because even the north americanization of martial arts includes coloured belt systems of rank, sometimes even including stripes added to the belts. (At least one Wikipedia entry claims the entire belt-ranking system to be a recent addition, non-existent pre-19th century).

In my Hollywood archetype, pupils enter the Shaolin temple at an early age, studying beside classmates and masters, learning both explicitly the techniques as well as implicitly the way of life of the monks. The lessons are usually experiential, with the learning often being an unexpected outcome on the part of the student. Here there are no grades, report cards or coloured belts, but rather readiness is gauged by the master, usually through a series of individualized tasks as well as knowing the learning history of the student.

Depth of understanding, as well as the ability to apply wisdom in practical situations is what's valued in this model of education.

What would it look like if a school were based only on depth of understanding, and not data? Learning, and not test scores?

I certainly wish I had the answer to this, but of course we work within systems still bound by a curriculum, reporting periods, the "instructional day", etc...
Is it still possible to create a learning environment within a school board that runs like a Shaolin temple yet still conforms to the structures of a public education system?

I think so.

Learning in an environment like this would be a blend of fluid, student-driven experiences balanced with explicit teaching of skills; there would be an instructional component in which all students take responsibility at some point for another's learning; the "master"/teacher would facilitate and guide the experiences, discussions, explorations in such a way that constantly models the inquiry-based attitude and problem-solving mindset of a traveler on a journey; groupings would be fluid, changing in response to student needs, with individuals, pairings, small groups constantly changing, students and teacher learning and guiding each other through the explorations.

The tracking, of course, would be a nightmare; most likely some portfolio-based system combined with a student-kept learning log; either written, audio or video-recorded; maybe a combination of all three. Ultimately, perhaps this learning log would be the only "artifact" that would need to be assessed...

A complex undertaking to be sure, but I'd be happy to work with any teacher willing to give it a go.

I realize it's kind of a big step for anyone, but for starters can we at least all agree to shave our heads?

Do it for the learning!

I love my job.

Homework: Good or Evil?

2011-06-16T16:50:00.000-04:00

a.k.a. Finally, the definitive answer

The issue of homework has been an oft-debated one in educational circles, with strong feelings on both sides of the argument. Here I offer some clarity on the subject which will allow us to move forward and direct our collective energies towards more pressing matters.

Tonight's homework: Do some, Think some, Learn some

If we consider Homework to be that which is completed at home as opposed to Schoolwork, it's important that we decide on what constitutes Schoolwork.

Schoolwork of course is the learning, through activities, inquiry, discussion, collaboration, etc... that happens at school. Seems obvious.

If we're opposed to doing this "work" at home, it would necessitate conversations at home such as the following:

"Put that basketball down! I won't have you doing any of that schoolwork on our driveway!"

"Sorry honey, there won't be any engagement in modeled or guided reading tonight; you'll have to save your (thick and thin) questions for your teacher."

"No son, you can't ask me about my day, since that would likely lead to a facilitated discussion of events, including evaluative statements about my boss (backed up by criteria and examples), and that kind of thing should only happen at school."

"Perhaps your teacher can help you write your letter to grandma; we don't use different forms of writing for any purposes here at home."

"No dear, please put the magnifying glass and model glue in your backpack; you'll just have to find an anthill at school to do your project-based inquiry."

Hmm, what would we need to do with that term, "Lifelong learner"?

As always, I welcome your comments.

I love my job.

REVIEW: M1 Ultimate Micro Projector by AAXA

2011-05-29T21:43:00.009-04:00

How we first met...

I was first asked about these projectors by @cgu92 during a PD session at her school. I had absolutely no experience with them at the time, but it led to a discussion about their potential benefits to students.

Setting the stage

The promise of small size and lower price immediately made us consider the possibilities for classroom deployment; the closest comparison I can think of is perhaps the first time laptops started becoming available to the consumer market, and the shifts that have followed as a result of a move away from rows of desktops in classrooms.
Could be big.
Hopes were high; not a good place to start, considering I'd never even seen one in use.

(all photos in this post were taken with an iPhone and were completely unedited)

Unboxing and setup

Note the black velvet
carrying bag under the
components

The packaging was about what I would have expected, if a bit on the minimal side. The projector's box is clearly designed for retail shelves and not shipping, so it arrived inside a larger box from the distributor (details below). All the bits & pieces were in order, as well as the manual, hiding underneath a cardboard layer.
Setup was pretty much the same as any "regular"-sized projector: Power cable, and some other cables (USB, composite) for attaching to other sources. It also comes with a little tripod that screws into a standard 1/4" tripod mount on the bottom.
I plugged in the power cable and pressed the power button. It turned on.

First impressions

Wow. I was impressed.

Initial menu screen came up
almost instantly!

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the image brightness, clarity and colour were certainly beyond what I thought they'd be. The full-colour menu came up almost instantly (zero warm-up time), easily viewable in my lighted living room.
In the image at left, the projector was approximately 5 ft from the wall.

Glowy blue built-on
control panel

The menu is intuitive, and both the remote control and built-in control buttons work very well. The built-in buttons respond to a very soft touch, and have a pleasant blue glow when activated.

Fan noise is noticeable, but certainly not what I would call loud or noisy.

Build quality is excellent; the projector has a metal body and feels quite solid in the hand. With no filament/bulb to worry about, I would feel confident using this in an elementary classroom where bumps and scrapes might crack plastic housings or shorten a traditional lamp's life.

Do not use this tripod!

The included tripod, however, is a different story. Although it looks sharp and shiny, it's legs don't spread apart far enough to provide stable support to the heavier projector, making it a tippy, precarious setup even on a hard surface. The components of the tripod are plastic, including the ball head and locking nut, which wouldn't tighten enough to hold the projector from slowly drooping unless perfectly upright.
Do not use this tripod to support... anything;
I doubt it could even support an argument.

Using the projector

Mirrored display with
13" MacBook Pro

Extended desktop using
Keynote

Hooking up the projector to my Macbook Pro worked just as easily as I expected; the computer recognized the additional VGA display immediately, and had no problem switching between mirroring displays and extending the desktop.
Keynote presentations worked seamlessly with the projector as either primary or secondary display.

Plugging the projector into the computer via USB enabled me to copy media files directly onto its 1GB onboard memory, once that menu item was selected on the projector. Photos played with the projector's built-in slideshow feature, and videos played very nicely as well, good colour renditions, with no noticeable framerate issues. The tiny (0.5 watt) speaker isn't really adequate for watching movies for an audience more than about 1, but the built-in headphone jack allows for external speakers to be used. Nice.

Playing photos from the
onboard 1Gb memory

Video playback was smooth;
sound was quiet

Media also played well from a USB stick plugged into the built-in USB port, both photos and video. I also tested the 3/8" A/V jack, which had no problem playing audio and video from my Asus O! Play media player.
The unit also has a built-in SD/SDHC card reader, which should work just as easily.

iPad cable allows display through 3/8" A/V jack

With the addition of the iPad connection cable, my photo slideshows played beautifully on the projector. I would assume that the iPad2 would have an even more impressive show, as it is not limited to only a small number of video-out compatible apps for external display. If I get the chance to test this with an iPad2 I'll be sure to update this section.

I do wish the projector had some sort of lens cap, even just a little plastic disc on a string that snaps over the front opening. The black velvet carrying bag that it comes with is very nice, but the photographer in me wants to protect the primary glass.

Using the software

I certainly wasn't expecting much from the onboard software, and so was pleasantly surprised to see features such as image adjustment (brightness, contrast), keystone adjustment, full playback features for the photo slideshow, music and video modes, transition options for the slideshow, language settings and even a choice of screen savers.

The menus are graphical and intuitive, and as I mentioned, are equally accessible from the remote control and the built-in top-mounted buttons. To work reliably, however, the remote control does need to be pointed at the rear of the unit, as that's where the sensor is located. In my brief use of the unit, I actually found the soft-touch buttons easier to use than the blister-style buttons on the remote.

Compatibility

Although the projector will display from any of the sources mentioned above (VGA, 3/8" A/V, composite, USB, SD/SDHC), there is a limited list of the file types and formats the projector can play natively, which includes JPEG, AVI, MPG, MP3 and MP4 to name a few. Specifically, it will not play flash files, PDF or TXT files natively. That would have been pretty cool, especially something like *.pps, or *.flv for Prezi.

Accessories

3-hour battery pack; okay, maybe 2-hr

Projector + battery

I strongly recommend purchasing the optional external battery for this unit. With the external battery attached, you now have a truly cordless, self-contained presentation solution.
The other accessory I bought was the iPod/iPad connection cable, mentioned above. Again, an essential component to the completely cordless setup.
iPod/iPad cable: $25 USD
3-hour battery: $80 USD

After fully charging the external battery (3 hours), I found that it yielded only about 2 hours of battery life. Of course, that would depend on the nature of the content being displayed, including whether or not it included any audio. After 2 hours, the battery was warm, but certainly not what I would call "hot". Interestingly, the projector itself was much less warm than the battery after the same amount of time.

Comparison summary

Middle of day, open windows in a meeting room.
Ceiling tiles are each 2-ft across: Image is 5-ft wide!

I had some very specific criteria in mind when selecting this projector:
Small enough to throw into my laptop bag;
Bright enough to be seen in a classroom without turning off all the lights;
Completely cordless.
The M1 Ultimate weighed in at the top of the class for brightness among pico/micro projectors, with only a few other model boasting more than 75 lumens, but at the cost of cordless capability.
Like everything else in life, compromises must be chosen and made; certainly there are much smaller models, cheaper models, brighter or lighter models, and happily there are many website such as this one that offer comparisons between models based on specs or features, including amazon.com. If you're in the market for one of these, I urge you to do a little research to get a feel for what you'll need to compromise on when making a selection.

Conclusions

This is huge, a real game-changer.

With an elementary classroom perspective, I believe this is the first generation of device that can offer portable, "small group" sharing of information at a somewhat reasonable price. I'm picturing a guided reading group, classroom backchannel, literature circles, even student conferencing all benefiting from the ability to share a laptop or other mobile device display without the need for a cart to be wheeled in and plugged into the wall. This is invaluable to someone like a photography teacher, who can now easily have students share and critique images with peers while still in the field, as the 3/8" A/V jack is compatible with most digital cameras!
Whether it's an iPod, iPad, laptop, memory stick or media uploaded into the unit itself, there no longer needs to be any power cable attached to the entire hardware setup. More creative uses for completely portable image display includes uses in drama and stage productions, sports events (virtual scoreboard?), or as a self-contained unit of study that could be loaned out to a student, pre-loaded with teacher video tutorials, images and demonstrations for a particular series of lessons.

At the very least, the lower price point (about half the cost of a "standard" LCD projector) makes it much easier to provide a projector to every classroom in the school.

Students will benefit from this device.

A completely cordless presentation kit:
iPad, projector + battery

I must again send out kudos to @cgu92, whose vision it was to purchase and test these units. Thanks for constantly pushing me, Cheryl!

Recommendation

"Strong Buy".
Also, I strongly suggest purchasing a ~$20 "tabletop" tripod from your local camera store for use with this device. My favourite is this series, but that might be a little overkill.

Ratings
Ease of use: 5/5
Features: 5/5
Build quality: 5/5 (tripod: 1/5)
Value: 4/5

Technical knowledge required: Low
Price: $279.00 USD plus shipping

People who should have this: Teachers of any grade, any subject, from Pre-K to Post-Doctoral.

Availability

Merconnet.com: (Yes, these are the same Canadian distributors of the iPevo P2V document camera; no, I am not sponsored by them nor do I receive anything from them beyond what I pay for).
$279.00 USD

Click below for:
Manufacturer's product site
Online manual

I love my job.

It's Not About the Technology... okay, maybe a little

2011-04-16T01:31:00.000-04:00

a.k.a. "New Car Smell"

I'd love to have an Audi R8.

Who wouldn't? It can go 187 mph (which would make passing trucks much safer), and its handling specs promise a smooth and comfortable ride to school and back every day, as well as allow me to get groceries and be back before the commercials are over. Plus, it's Tony Stark's car, and who can argue with Iron Man's taste?

What's a Darth MacGoogle-mobile without a fitting vanity plate?

But it's not about the car; it's about safe and efficient transportation to and from work. Right.

This is the thought that was paramount in my mind this week as our team received a "refresh" of our 5+ yr-old laptops, with brand new MacbookPros. Facetime, Thunderbolt port, multi-touch trackpad... not about the technology.
Still, there's no denying the "I just got the new bike I've been looking at in the catalog for six months now" feeling is still alive and well, for everyone of all ages.

To be honest, it'd be a sad, sad day if we no can no longer feel that kind of excitement upon getting a new toy to play with. It remains one of the simplest ways of "feeling like a kid again."

No, it's not about the technology... but it's in there somewhere.

I love my job.

Everyday Inspiration

2011-03-31T01:45:00.000-04:00

a.k.a. "So, how did you two meet?"

I've always found it fascinating to hear about some of the different paths people take that lead them to teaching. Each story is very personal, almost like asking a couple how they first met.

Awww....

Of course for many teachers it was a choice they made in high school or even before, as an elementary-aged student. Even within this group there's tremendous variety, each one itself inspirational:

"Both my parents were teachers..."

"I had this one really good teacher in grade six..."

"I had a really terrible teacher in grade four..."

"I saw a movie that made me want to be a teacher..."

This would be like the high school sweethearts who ended up getting married. Awwww....

Then there are those who have come to teaching later in life, for so many different reasons:

Goin' to the chapel
and we're...

"I had children early, and wanted to be home with them until they went to high school..."

"I wanted to travel for a while before I started a career..."

This is a little bit like those two people who were friends for so long but never got together until much later, and everyone says, "It's about time you two got together!" Awwww......

There are also those who have come to teaching from another career, or two. Almost by definition these would be adults who have had the perspective of another work environment, like someone whose relationship hasn't worked out the way they imagined, but now has a clear idea of exactly what they want (or don't want) in a partner.

"My previous job just had no creativity..."

"Working at the bank was killing me..."

It's this last category of "falling into teaching" that the subject of this post belongs to, summarized and re-told here with her permission. She's a teacher I've had the privilege of working with a few times already, but just recently stumbled into this background information during a casual conversation in her classroom...

An enthusiastic and super-optimistic student, born of immigrant parents, she set out to save the world.
Literally.

Studying first in the US, and with the benefit of three languages to her advantage, she secured a job with none less than the United Nations right out of university, working in their World Health Organization unit in Geneva. Based in African and East Mediterranean countries for a few years, she worked with governments of developing nations as part of a UN team, improving health care services.

The real deal

After a few years, however, the various levels of bureaucracy became tiresome to work within, and even the excitement of regularly crossing borders with various UN teams could not make up for the simple fact that there was just too much governance getting between herself and saving the world.

So she quit.

Coming back to Canada (and giving up a US-dollar, 100% tax-free UN salary, among other perks), she became a teacher and has worked in our board for several years now, currently in a grade three classroom.

Saving the world, one class at a time.

Her story was particularly inspirational to me since her explicit mandate is still to save the world, but she's found that being a Canadian classroom teacher is a better way to do it than working for the United Nations.

Here's to all of us teaching in classrooms everywhere: When things seem tough and almost overwhelming, just remember:
It's hard work saving the world, but someone's gotta do it.

The teacher? Her students may call her one thing, but you will know her as @PocketsofHope.

I'd love to hear from as many teachers out there as possible:

How did you two meet?

Please feel free to tell us your story of "falling into teaching" by leaving a comment and sharing some everyday inspiration.

I love my job.

A Vision of Educational Leadership

2011-03-26T02:40:00.000-04:00

a.k.a. "On being 'the man' "

I'm not the principal of a school.

Recently I've been given the opportunity to reflect on what that role could look like, through the articulation of my Vision of Educational Leadership. A little wordy, perhaps, but not exhaustive and certainly an organic work in progress, I offer some initial thoughts here for your consideration. I welcome all comments not as criticism but as assistance as I try to define what it should be.

Simply put, an educational leader is someone who provides leadership and guidance to those whose job includes the education of students. This leadership and guidance can take many forms, both explicit and implicit, direct or indirect, and should be evidenced by the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the leader. If I had to summarize my philosophy of educational leadership in one statement, it might be something like this:

"Acting in such a way that inspires and motivates those around you to be the best educators they can be."

Actions, from the statement above, would be guided by a personal vision and personal ethics, overlaid with a professional vision and guidelines.

Would you teach at a school
if this man was your principal?

My own ethics includes a strong sense of fairness, as opposed to equality in the mathematical sense. Spending extra time working with a staff member who may require it is not unfair, but rather responsive to his needs as a learner in the same way that a classroom teacher would provide extra help to some students and not others. The same would apply to all facets of the administrative role, including things such as issues of budget, duties or release time in a school setting.

Equity takes on a different meaning with respect to listening to the voices of those in my charge. Every issue has more than one perspective, and I believe it's supremely important to ensure all voices are heard and respected, not just the loudest and most adamant. Even if an agreement cannot be reached, all parties still need to understand and respect the viewpoints of others when decisions are made. To that end, creating an environment or mechanism in which staff feels safe to share their opinions freely and professionally is essential to achieving equity in a school; that environment is often not the monthly staff meeting.

Transparency is another quality that I value both personally and professionally, the lack of which has grave consequences in both cases. A principal who acts without transparency can leave a staff in a state of constant imbalance and uncertainty, even mistrust. When the opposite is true and decisions are made openly, information shared freely, the staff has a better chance of feeling secure and safe in the knowledge that they are being treated fairly and professionally.

In addition to all of these traits and values, I feel strongly about questioning and innovation, mentioned together intentionally here. When we question the status quo, traditional thinking or even rules, we open the door not only to inclusive dialogue with different perspectives, but innovation; and innovation, although an inherently risky business, is the only way to achieve true growth and development. i.e. An institution can increase in size or expand in reach by doing the same thing more and more, but to actually grow in the intellectual sense requires doing things differently to find new ways.

A school principal is in the unique position of being an enabler of risk-taking, and more to the point, has a responsibility to encourage questioning and innovation as a mechanism for staff development. New ideas, methodologies and technologies should all be given more consideration than anything traditional, especially as they are the natural side effect of truly critical thinking.

Concepts such as the "flipped classroom", the end of traditional grading or the evolving role of Social Media in current practice need to be embraced and discussed at the school and classroom level, facilitated by someone with a knowledge and understanding not only of pedagogy but the rules of the system in order to enable their exploration while protecting those who dare venture there. As Morpheus said to Neo when he first learned kung fu, regarding rules, "...some of them can be bent, others can be broken."

Learning the path of the One.
Image taken from http://bit.ly/fwroPM

I welcome your comments, especially if you are currently in a position of educational leadership.

I love my job.

One Small Step for Social Media; One Giant Leap for an Institution

2011-03-08T01:35:00.000-05:00

a.k.a. "Achievement Unlocked - Embraced Social Media"

Very recently, the director of education of my school board began to publish his weekly newsletter in blog format.
He did announce it (in the previous newsletter), but otherwise it made a very modest entry into the blogosphere: Viewable only by board employees who log in with their employee credentials, a couple clicks deep on our internal web portal.
No big deal, right?

Wrong.

This simple change of "mode" represents the first foray into the Social Media realm that the board has "officially" endorsed. By providing a forum for open feedback on the director's message, our director has begun a dialogue with employees that simply hasn't existed before. Even more exciting is the phrase he used to describe this move: "baby steps", hinting at the possibility for further use of Social Media.

I suspect that it may take a little while for the system to fully appreciate the magnitude of this ever-so-slight course-correction to the wheel of our ocean liner; but to extend the metaphor, even a tiny shift in course out on the open ocean can make the difference between putting ashore in Madagascar or the South Pole.

My belief is that this is the first step towards transforming the board as an institution into one that responds to the needs of its members in a timely, meaningful way, reflective of the diversity and strengths of all its members, ultimately moving towards a model of shared leadership, responsibility, of true collaboration and equity on an epic scale.

Congratulations. Let's keep that wheel a-turnin'.

I love my job.

A Model of PD that Really Works

2011-02-18T00:25:00.000-05:00

(This post was originally published here).

Last week I spent a full day at @cgu92's school for the sole purpose of sitting with teachers to plan their upcoming PD sessions.

It's a model that was originally developed by @taniasterling and consists of three stages:

Stage One: "Give a prep": Teachers sign up to give up one of their prep periods in order to meet with me (or another PD provider). Together, we do a candid needs assessment to determine how best to spend Stage Two.

Stage Two: "Get 2 preps": Teachers receive two prep periods to work with me (and/or another PD provider) during the instructional day, in their own school. During the two periods, the teachers receive the training and practice that we collaboratively decided upon from Stage One.

Stage Three: "Sharing Carousel": Weeks after the PD is delivered, all staff members enjoy a carousel party, in which the participating teachers discuss with the rest of staff what they learned through the process.

Key to this process is admin support.

Often the admin team help to organize the first stage of signups; of course the admin are instrumental in arranging and coordinating Stage Two, regardless of where the funding comes from for the supply teachers. In order to encourage participation, Stage Three might involve dinner or some good snacks provided by admin, which help contribute to the celebration atmosphere. We tried this model for the first time last year, and it was a tremendous success. This year we're not only doing it at three other locations, but even tried a cooperative model involving staff from two nearby schools sharing not only their knowledge and leadership but their space as well.

Teachers hearing of the tao of the document camera

Photo: @cgu92

I don't want to overstate the day, but it was fantastic, even inspiring, to see all these teachers, giving up their prep periods voluntarily to plan their own professional development. Talk about empowering! To have teachers taking control of their own PD was some of the most focussed and motivated discussions I've had in a long time.

Teachers were laying it all on the table: Their areas of comfort, their areas of need, and what they hoped to gain from their upcoming session.

The major advantages of this model of PD structuring is that I'm seeing teachers who may never have otherwise sought out PD in the area of technology integration.

The factors that make the difference?

1. Job-embedded: The PD happens during the instructional day, via release time, as opposed to after school or even a lunch'n'learn.

2. Personal: The teachers plan their own PD, based on their individual needs, as opposed to a generic workshop offered, and having teachers sign up.

3. Location: At their own school, in their own comfort zones, on their own terms, as opposed to having to account for travel time and a break in their routine.

4. Follow-up: More than just a "one-off", this model has both planning and implementation built right in, as well as the all-important reflective component in the celebration carousel at the end.

Fast-forward: Today

Google meets SMART in this interactive lesson plan

Photo: @cgu92

Today was delivery day, where @cgu92 and I both provided the learning that we had previously planned with teachers. Two of us were both essential, as the learning needs of the teachers were so individualized, even within one topic area. There was excitement and engagement, and the personal attention to professional development needs made for a safe learning environment in which nobody felt pressured or judged. We'll try to get some of the participants to leave their own comments at the end of this blog post.

Next steps?

I'd like to see a follow-up that includes co-teaching of the strategies in the classroom with the teacher. In this way, both teacher and PD-provider can use the immediate feedback from the students to guide the implementation, and plan together the next step. The best part? It wouldn't cost principals any additional supply/release time.

Setting goals before getting started

Photo: @cgu92

Although the sharing carousel is a great way to celebrate the learning that happened, I'd hate for it to seem like an "end of year party", or summative in any way.

Instead, perhaps built into the carousel could be a process for partnering, where other teachers who were not involved in this round, get to pair up for some mentoring with those who just "finished" their learning. It would consolidate the learning, and build capacity at the same time, not to mention increase self-efficacy and promote team-building.

Process, not product.

Kudos to @cgu92 for planning and organizing the entire process at this school, and for documenting the process through photos.

I love my job.

A Valentine's Day Ode

2011-02-14T22:01:00.000-05:00

"Moodle is my best friend.
Someone to work with, someone to play with;
Someone who's always there, even when I can't be;
Keeping me connected to those across the desk from me; across the school; across the world;
My walled garden; my global gateway;
My soapbox, my pedestal, my voice;
My anchor in the maelstrom of the wide, wide web; my navigator and captain of intrepid exploration;
My moodle is so much to me in so many intangible ways;
Just as a best friend should be."

May you express your true feelings today to the ones you love, just as I have here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love my job.

REVIEW: iPad Bluetooth Keyboard from ThinkGeek

2011-02-08T01:12:00.002-05:00

How we first met...

A few months after receiving our iPads, @pennyles sent us this link to an iPad case with integrated bluetooth keyboard. I was intrigued, then almost immediately distracted by all the other cool stuff on thinkgeek's site. Seriously, where else can you get a plush talking bacon?

Shortly after that, one of our team members (@cool_mip) showed up with the very snazzy ZAGG case, all shiny and sleek. Impressive, I thought, plus I could stick stickers on it's smooth metal surface, something I sorely miss with my current faux leather case. But did I really need a keyboard? I'd survived so far without one, and I had a nagging reservation about trying to make the iPad into something it wasn't: A laptop or netbook.

Setting the stage

With a course starting in a couple of weeks, I was anxious to see if this tablet device could indeed replace the need for a laptop. Up to this point, taking notes during meetings and at schools wasn't too much of a problem, but I really felt I needed more for the purpose of taking a course. And so I started to consider the options.

The ZAGG case, while cool and all, was about double the price of the one offered at ThinkGeek.

This other option, brought to my attention by @teknoteach, didn't seem viable for three reasons: I could see it being problematic having to adjust to only one Shift key; several other keys seemed to be relocated; and the company/site certainly didn't have the reputation of ThinkGeek. ThinkGeek it was.

Unboxing and setup

Red light indicates charging

Pairing the keybaord was
quick and painless

The order arrived from ThinkGeek.com 3 days after I placed it. The packaging was much like what I'd expect to find in any big box electronics retailer. Inside I found the case, a USB cable, and a one-page instruction guide.

The keyboard comes with a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, which I was sure to charge fully before first use. Charging is done through plugging the USB cable into the port of a computer and the other very small USB end into the device.

Once charged, the red charging light turns off. With the iPad in place, bluetooth connection is accomplished just as easily as with any other bluetooth device. I was happy to see that the pairing code was not only longer than just 4 digits, but also not just "1234".

First impressions

Being a silicone keyboard, the distinctive odor is quite strong for about a day after initial unwrapping. The tactile response of the keys is just about what I was expecting: positive and soft, yet not too sensitive to "rest" fingers on.

The silicone keyboard response is just as expected

I was surprised at my own initial behavior with the new case: within a few seconds of typing, I found myself reaching for the non-existent trackpad, a behavior I also noticed from the next person I asked to try out the new case. I suppose this just about reinforces my earlier concern about turning the device into something that it's not: It took me less than a minute to mentally shift from tablet to laptop with this change in form factor.

As it turns out, this keyboard also only has one Shift key, and other keys are relocated as well. I've already started getting used to a couple of them, but it would have been nice to know about these before ordering, as it's one of the factors that eliminated the less expensive option.
Upon closer inspection, this is exactly the same keyboard as on the DealExtreme site. Still, knowing this, I would have happily paid the $15 difference to get the item from a site with ThinkGeek's reputation. The more adventurous purchasers will in fact save almost the cost of the item itself, since the other site seems to offer free shipping as well. Hmm...

That being said, I'm using it to type this entire blog post, and have not had to slow down my typing at all, (upwards of 60WPM) with the exception of those non-alphanumeric keys that have been relocated, particularly the apostrophe.

All external controls are still accessible through openings in the case, including headphone jack, charging port and even holes for the iPad's built-in speakers. Interestingly, there's an additional hole in the centre of the top of the case. Hmm, what do they know that we may only suspect...?

The magnetic flap closure is positive and reassuring.

Using the keyboard

On a table or desk, the case makes the iPad function pretty much like a laptop or net book: keyboard response is very good, and sized nicely. In fact, the keyboard is larger than on my Asus EEE netbook, and I like this keyboard layout even better.

The features are nice: volume control just like on the Mac, as well as iPod keys that allow for audio control without leaving your current app. It has a dedicated Search key, and strangely enough, a key to bring up the iPad's own virtual keyboard.

What's very much appreciated and IMHO makes up for the relocated keys, are the four direction arrow keys. Yes, no longer do I need to hold and bring up the magnifying circle to place my cursor where I need it, I can navigate and select text quickly and precisely, even using the Alt and Control shortcuts just like a regular keyboard. That alone may have been worth the price of admission for me.

The laptop experience is a
precarious one

When resting the device on your knees for typing on a couch, the iPad is somewhat precariously too vertical, and in some danger of falling backwards away from you especially if pressing the Home button on the iPad. For this reason, the dedicated Home key on the keyboard is quite useful.

Folding the keyboard under the iPad does create a much thicker browsing experience, as well as leaves about half of the keys exposed underneath. It's probably about twice as thick as my previous case was in this configuration, but not really a big deal from a user experience perspective.

It would have been nice to have the option for portrait orientation of the iPad with the keyboard, but that's not an option with this design.

Folding the keyboard under when not in use makes for a
very "thick" user experience. Note the mystery hole at the top...

Compatibility

Being a bluetooth device, the keyboard case is compatible with iPhone as well, and I found it paired just as easily with my 3GS as it did with the iPad. I haven't tried it with my other Mac devices, although I suspect it would pair equally easily, but am guessing the Home button would simply not function on a laptop or desktop. The little hole at the top suggests compatibility with a future iPad version that includes a camera, although we'll just have to wait and see about that.

iPad support angle is not adjustable
compared to my previous case
(on the left)

Comparison

This keyboard case doesn't add any noticeable weight compared to my previous case which was also a faux leather, but it's certainly bulkier when closed, and much more so when the keyboard is not in use and folded underneath.

As a keyboard it ranks above any of the smaller netbooks', but certainly below any of the standard laptops'.

Conclusions

This will do the job that I bought it for.

Lightweight, relatively inexpensive, easy to set up, looks sharp and professional, works fine, it's a winner.
The addition of a keyboard brings the iPad out of its current class of device into a true productivity tool, making it a viable laptop alternative for some. For what it is, this product is pretty much all it should be.

Recommendation

"Strong Buy"

Ratings

Ease of use: 5/5

Features: 5/5

Build quality: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Technical knowledge required: Low

Price: $59.99 USD

People who should have this: Anyone wishing to take a big step with their iPad closer to laptop functionality, including students for classroom use.

Availability

Web-order: http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/e65a/

Canadian orders: DHL delivery charged an additional brokerage/handling fee that was approximately equal to the shipping costs.

I love my job.

UPDATE: June 2011
I've been using this for many months now without any real problems. Occasionally the bluetooth "hunts" for a few seconds before reconnecting, and I've had to recharge it once only since originally posting this review.

The iPad2 does fit into this case, but "flops around" a bit too much for my linking, due to the smaller size (height and thickness) of the new device. Once I decide on a keyboard case for the iPad2 I'll be sure to write a review for this blog.

A Vision of Education Today ~ presented in 4 Scenes

2011-01-26T01:38:00.000-05:00

The Student (and Teacher) of Tomorrow… Today

(a.k.a. “This is how we roll.”)

SCENE 1: The 21st Century Learner

>dinner noises<

PARENT (eating dinner): Gee, Student sure finished dinner quick; wonder what's so

important upstairs that's worth missing TV for? I'd better go see how he’s doing.

>up steps noises<

>door opening<

>keyboard typing<

[ goes to other corner, finds Student on the computer, with iPhone, headphones on ]

Parent: Hey, I thought you were up here doing your homework?! What is this, the

"mission control" of procrastination? I see you're on Facebook, MSN, and what are you

listening to?

Student: But, I am doing my homework. We're using Facebook to coordinate the

different parts of the project; I'm using IM to talk to Brad about our presentation, and I'm

listening to Ms. Teacher's Success Criteria for the project again on our class podcast.

Student is confronted in the
"mission control of procrastination"

Parent (momentarily stunned): ... you mean all this is you doing homework?

Student: Well... I was also saving the world by playing Evoke in the background too...

Parent: Hey, isn't that the manual for the PVR I asked to you look through so you can

program it? It's right where I left it last week; you haven’t looked at it yet?

Student: Yeah, I figured it out without the manual. It's recording Glee right now.

Parent: Well, if you don't need my help, I have to go pick up Sister from practice.

Student: Oh, she texted a little while ago to remind you that she’s going to be late, but

getting a ride home from Friend’s Parent.

Parent: Really? I didn’t hear my phone ring.

Student: She didn’t call, it was a text message.

Parent: I’m not sure how to do that on my new phone. Can you show me later?

Student: That’s what Sister suggested too.

Parent (sarcastically): Really. What else did she say?

Student: She said I should show you again how to access the shared Google calendar,

where she updated her practice schedule two days ago.

Parent: Okay, so we really need to set a time for me to learn this stuff. When do you

have time?

Student: You know, you can see my whole schedule… it’s on the (in unison with

Parent) shared Google calendar.

Parent: Okay, I get it, or rather I’ll get it. Just finish up here, and make sure your

teacher doesn't catch you with any of this stuff at school, she'll probably take it away.

Student: Who do you think taught me how to use Twitter and Facebook this way?

Look, it's all right here on our class moodle...

Parent: Noodle?

Student: Moodle.

Parent: She lets you play with this stuff in class?! How come I didn't know about this?

Student: You signed the form that allowed me to bring in my laptop and smartphone. It

was a few weeks ago, don't you remember?

Parent: Yes, well, I sign a lot of things... I think I'd like to have a word with your

teacher.

Student: Sure.. she's on Skype right now, do you want video or just audio?

>Skype noise<

Parent: What?! Skype?! No I don't want video or audio, I'm going to go and talk to her

the old fashioned way, in her classroom, tomorrow after school.

[ Parent walks out ]

>door closing<

>Skype message<

Student (over shoulder, to Parent who has left) : ... she says Okay.

SCENE 2: The 21st Century Classroom

Parent: Ms. Teacher?

Teacher: You must be Student's father, pleased to meet you.

Parent: Ah, I guess you saw the note I wrote in Student's agenda?

Teacher: Uh, something like that...

Parent (looking around): Wow, what happened to your classroom? Your desks are all

over the place. Do you want me to help you put them back into rows?

Teacher: (with a chuckle) No thanks, we've found this arrangement works pretty well,

actually.

Parent: With little groups here and there?

Teacher: That's right; usually the students choose who they want to work with, or I

suggest a group based on what I know of the student, and how they work.

Parent: Hey, is that one of those SMARTboards I've been hearing about?

SMARTboard high-fives his best
friend, the document camera

Teacher: Yessir, with its best friend the Document Camera right next to it.

Parent: Hm. I guess you don't use it that often.

Teacher: What makes you say that?

Parent: Well for what I know they cost, I didn't expect to see it off in the corner like

that. I guess if you used it more often it would be at the front of the room here.

Teacher: That setup gets used pretty much all day every day; I just don't like technology

to be the focus of the room, it works much better as a focused learning centre for small

groups. The students really respond to it better that way. They are actually the ones who

decided what classroom set-up worked best for them. We also work together to set our

classroom learning targets.

Parent: Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Last night Student told me

that you're using Facebook and Twitter and some kind of poodle...

Teacher: Moodle?

Parent: ...moodle for schoolwork, and that it's okay to bring in cell phones to school.

Teacher: That's right, we use them to give feedback, research of course, record

questions and observations, they keep their group updated on progress, not to mention

that from anywhere they can use their handheld devices to access the class moodle...

Parent: doodle?

Teacher: ...moodle, which has a calendar of due dates, discussion forums...

Parent: But I don't see a laptop or a smartphone on all the desks here.

Teacher: Well, students can bring in their own laptops or mobile devices for starters,

and connect to the internet for free if they use our board's network.

Parent: There's no way every student can be expected to bring in something like that,

some families don't even have a computer at home!

Teacher: True enough sir; Those students can check out an iPod Touch or a netbook

from the library for the day, or use one of the desktops we have in the classroom, or just

share with a friend. And a few of our identified students are provided with laptops, then

our TRT...

Parent: TRT?

Teacher: Technology Resource Teacher helps to show those students and I how best to

use it to meet their learning needs.

Parent: Who pays for all that equipment in the school?

Teacher: Well, a lot of it was purchased through the board's Cost Sharing program using

money from the parent council. For most technology purchases, the board kicks in up to

half the cost, to encourage schools to buy hardware that'll help students learn.

Parent: Bake sales and pizza days pay for all this technology?

Teacher: Well, not entirely. Since most of what I do is posted on the moodle...

Parent: zoodle?

Teacher: ...moodle, we save a lot of money on photocopy paper and textbooks, which,

according to our Blueprints plan, we can then put towards technology.

Parent: Your IT department must not like that, having to support all those different

kinds of devices.

Teacher: Actually, IT fully supports our move towards this kind of computing. Since

students are responsible for supporting their own hardware and software, it's no extra

computers for them to look after. Of course, the moodle server is getting a lot of

attention these days.

Parent: Right, the noodle server... But how can you do anything as a class if everyone

doesn't have the same set of programs on their computers?

Teacher: It does change the way we deliver assignments, from relying on a standard

image to more cloud-based computing with Web 2.0 tools.

Parent: You mean like... okay, what do you mean?

Teacher: Cloud computing just means collaborating and storing documents and even

using applications through the internet, not running on each computer. That way, the

computers just have to be able to access the internet in order to accomplish the same

things.

Parent: That does sound simpler. So you have to solve all your tech problems yourself?

Teacher: No, we do have a TST...

Parent: TST?

Teacher: Technology Service Technician who comes to our school once a week to take

care of any problems with our board technology. It's a good service model that works

well.

Parent: Really? I wish I could say the same about the IT department at my office.

Teacher: Yeah, we're really lucky to have such a great relationship with our IT

department. In fact, a year or two ago they switched the support model to one that they

thought might be more efficient, but when we gave them feedback that we preferred the

weekly visits better, they changed it right back.

Parent: Wow, that does sound like a great relationship. And for you to be teaching with

all this, you must have some kind of advanced technology background I guess.

Teacher: Not at all. our TLT...

Parent: TLT?

Teacher: ...Technology Lead Teacher gave the whole staff a few workshops on how to

do some of it, but I also called in our CRT...

Parent: CRT?

Teacher: ... Computer Resource Teacher for the rest. These are classroom teachers on

special assignment, who travel from school to school helping teachers learn about

integrating technology into their Literacy Program. He himself even taught the class a

few times so I could observe him and my students.

Parent: Like a travelling salesman, eh?

Teacher: Mm, more like a travelling preacher. See, it's not any one particular product

he's selling, it's more like the whole approach to teaching he helped me to change. He

also suggested I go see a Learning Lab, which I did.

Parent: And what would that be?

Teacher: A learning lab is a strong literacy teacher who integrates technology in a way

that addresses the varied aspects of literacy. Their classrooms get a little boost of

hardware, and in return they allow teachers from other schools and their own school to

book time to come in and observe a Literacy Block, and answer questions afterwards.

Parent is schooled in the ways of 21C learning

Parent: Sounds like a lot of extra time for you to learn all those acronyms much less all

that stuff.

Teacher: To some extent, yes, but a lot of it is online. Youtube can actually be quite

helpful for finding tutorials, and the CRTs put a lot of training materials in a training

moodle...

Parent: Moodle?

Teacher: ...moodle, which we can access any time it suits us. And that doesn't even

begin to cover what ABEL has to offer.

Parent: Wow, with all those supports in place, it seems like the board really wants you

to teach this technology stuff.

Teacher: Not really.

Parent: What do you mean?

Teacher: The board doesn't want us to teach technology... the board wants us to teach

our students.

SCENE 3: 21st Century Concerns

Principal: Mr. Teacher?

Teacher: Yes Principal?

Principal: I wonder if you have a moment to talk?

Teacher: Certainly, come on in.

Principal: I just wanted to talk to you about a couple of things I noticed on my last

walkthrough...

Teacher: Sure thing, what's on your mind?

Principal: I just wanted to bring to your attention that I saw some kids playing with

video games at the back of your class the other day and then again this morning.

Teacher: Oh, which game were they playing?

Principal: I'm not sure, I didn't stop to ask them... does it matter?

Teacher: Well sure it matters.. I've introduced them to a few different ones, and...

Principal: You've introduced them to a few different video games?

Teacher: That's right, we're looking at some in our Media Literacy lessons, and another

one as part of a World Issues ISU for a couple of students.

Principal: I hardly think playing games can be considered “Appropriate Use of

technology”.

Teacher: These kids aren't just playing Pac Man, they're collaborating with students

from around the world to work on real life issues like food shortages and social justice...

Principal: But I saw the students using banned devices in the school, in your classroom,

during the Literacy block.

Teacher: Everyone's parents signed the extra permission form that you and I created, so

what do you mean by "banned" devices?

Principal: Yes, we created an additional permission waiver, but that was for laptops or

cell phones, but I saw a student with a Nintendo DS and a Playstation Portable!

Teacher: The form allows for any handheld device, not just laptops or cell phones.

Those "game machines" are also capable of connecting to the board's network.

Principal: So they're playing games on the board's network?

Teacher: No, it's more likely that they were using those devices to connect to the

internet or at the very least each other, and with my permission, doing the work that I

assigned them.

Principal: You assigned them to work on a game machine?

Teacher: No, I assigned them to work collaboratively to obtain the learning targets up

there on the wall; they chose to work with that tool.

Principal: By themselves at the back of the class? Is that such a good idea?

Teacher: They chose that space because it's away from the rest of the class; their IEPs

call it "environmental accommodations".

Principal: Those students I saw at the back of the room are identified students?

Teacher: That's right. And when they use their "game machines" to access the

assignments on the class moodle...

Principal: Doodle?

Teacher: ...moodle, they work at their own pace, in the way that they choose, in the

place that they're most comfortable.

Principal: But what about the fact that they can use those same devices to play games,

or send instant messages to each other? They could even be cyber-bullying each other on

those things!

Teacher: That's true, but we've had extensive discussions about it in class and with

parents, and we deal with it if it comes up.

Principal: That's it?

Teacher: What would you prefer?

Principal: Well, at the very least I think that students should be banned from using

technology if they use it inappropriately.

Teacher: I see. So if a student uses a learning tool for something that I didn't explicitly

allow, we should take away that tool?

Principal: That's about right, yes.

Teacher: What will I do with them all?

Principal: All what?

Teacher: All the pencils, notebooks, pens, markers, rulers, metre sticks, pencil cases and

all the other learning tools I take away?

Principal: No no, I just mean the computers and cell phones.

Teacher: So, bullying, doesn't count if it's written on a piece of paper? And hangman

isn't a game if it's played with a pencil? Also, how do we go about banning the little bits

of paper they write notes on and pass in class?

Principal: That's completely different, because.... because....

(Teacher is nodding slowly, Principal begins to nod slowly as well)

Teacher: Talk to the kids, they already know.

Principal: I look forward to your TPA.

SCENE 4: 21st Century Citizenship

SUPERINTENDENT: Hi there, I'm Ms. Superintendent here to visit with Mr.

Principal... Oh, he's with a parent? Sure, I'll wait right here, Thank you. (sits down, next

to Student, who is using handheld device)

SUPERINTENDENT: And what's your name?

Student: Student.

SUPERINTENDENT: Nice to meet you Student, my name is...

Student: I know who you are.

SUPERINTENDENT: I see... And what's that you're playing?

Student: I'm looking you up online.

SUPERINTENDENT: I beg your pardon?

Student: Nothing serious, just a Google advanced search with domain and language

filtering. Don't worry, there's nothing really bad coming up.

SUPERINTENDENT: Well, I...

Student: Looks like you're not really taking control of your online identity, though.

SUPERINTENDENT: That's not true at all; I take extraordinary measures to make sure

I don't put anything on the internet about me.

Student: (with a look) not putting stuff up about yourself really isn't the same as taking

control of your online identity you know.

Superintendent gets eyes opened by Student

SUPERINTENDENT: Whatever do you mean?

Student: My teacher taught us that if you don't put up anything about yourself online, it's

like you're letting other people describe you to the world by whatever they happen to put

up about you.

SUPERINTENDENT: But, I can't control what other people might post about me, and

neither can you.

Student (pointing/winking): Exactly.

SUPERINTENDENT (thinks for a moment): Is the whole school managing their online

identity like you are?

Student: Oh no, for sure not. My little sister in grade 2 is waaaay too young to be

building her online identity. That just wouldn't be safe.

SUPERINTENDENT: That’s good to hear.

Student: That's why her class uses a moodle...

SUPERINTENDENT: Strudel?

Student: ...moodle is sooo important to her class.

SUPERINTENDENT: Right... (nods for a little while)... and why would that be?

Student: Because it lets her go online and learn from her teacher about how to act online

and what's okay to put online, but it's all controlled by the teacher, and nobody else can

see it.

SUPERINTENDENT: So her online identity isn't really online?

Student: Not really.

SUPERINTENDENT: Really?

Student: Not really.

SUPERINTENDENT (after a pause): So, how do you manage your online identity?

Student: Well, for starters, my Twitter account all has to do with projects from school,

and my blog has some of the social justice causes I support...as a matter of fact we are

communicating with a classroom in Haiti using Twitter

SUPERINTENDENT: Social justice? Twitter?

Student: You do know about Twitter don't you?

SUPERINTENDENT: I keep hearing about it, and I've been meaning to look into it, but

I really don't care to know when Ashton Kutcher is doing his laundry.

Student: Neither do I, but you really should look into it. Sir Ken says we should all

make time to explore out-of-the-box ideas.

SUPERINTENDENT: Sir Ken? Ken Robinson?

Student: That's the guy.

SUPERINTENDENT: You read Sir Ken Robinson?!

Student: Sure do.

SUPERINTENDENT: Fascinating! I myself have just read his latest book from 2009.

Have you read his latest? Have you read "The Element"?

Student: I've read his latest, but it's not "The Element" from 2009.

SUPERINTENDENT: Really? He's written something more recent than that?

Student: Sure... his last Tweet was about an hour ago.

>Tweet noise<

Student: Yeah.. like my friend Brandon here Tweeted and wants to know if you paid for

your out-of-province conferences last year with your board salary, or if it's paid for

separately.

SUPERINTENDENT: What?! My salary?! How does he...?

Student (holding up mobile device): It's all right here online... your salary, expenses...a

matter of public record, you know.

SUPERINTENDENT (flustered): Well, I...

>Tweet noise<

Student: Oh, sorry... my teacher Tweeted that we should stop asking you about your

salary.

SUPERINTENDENT: Very well then... why are you here anyway?

Student: Oh, I was just bringing the attendance folder here, but when I saw you I looked

you up and tweeted to my class.

SUPERINTENDENT: Shouldn't you be getting back to class? Your teacher will be

wondering where you are...

Student (holding up handheld device): He knows.

SUPERINTENDENT: Right, right... You know, I think I'd like to meet your teacher

and talk to her about some of these things that are happening in her class.

Student: Her Skype address is on the class moodle...

SUPERINTENDENT: Kaboodle?

Student: ...moodle, would you like it?

SUPERINTENDENT: No, thanks, I think I'd like to do it the old fashioned way, by

walking down the hall myself. (gets up and starts walking away from Student)

>Tweet noise<

Student (on handheld device): He says Okay.

[ curtain ]

This piece was written last year as a unique method of presenting not only our collective

vision of today's elementary classroom, but the various elements that make it possible. Although

clearly we’re no playwrights, I think it manages to get our points across in a unique

manner.

As a conference presentation it certainly was more engaging than standing up and reading

bullet points off some slide deck. Although written by myself, Penny Hansen

(@pennyles) and Jason Eygenraam (@jeygenraam) it was Penny’s suggestion that we

have students perform the play, which made it all the more effective.

I’ve already had more than one school request to use this script to present their own

version to parent council groups and on curriculum nights, as it answers many of the

questions that those stakeholders have with respect to classroom use of technology.

It was also a bit of a personal victory, as it proved how successful a conference

presentation could be, without being just like all other conference presentations.

I've licensed it under Creative Commons: Non-commercial, share-alike.

The Student and Teacher of Tomorrow, Today by Paul Yip, Penny Hansen, Jason Eygenraam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

I love my job.

REVIEW: iPevo's P2V: the $80 document camera

2011-01-10T01:40:00.000-05:00

How we first met...

I first saw the iPevo document camera at an Apple Professional Development Consultant training session, where my colleague (@slouca11) and I were preparing to deliver a quick iPad demo in a conference room about the size of a classroom. We asked if there was a document camera handy, and were told we could use the one at the front of the room. Not seeing one, I actually checked under the table before we asked again, bewildered, where the document camera was. "Right there," was the response. I still didn't see it...

Setting the stage

At my school board, the first document camera available was the Elmo (http://www.elmousa.com/), followed shortly by the SMART document camera, (http://smarttech.com/) which is a raging success with teachers, myself included. I credit this to the fact that the SMART doc cam integrates so seamlessly with their great Notebook software. I mention this because it is the basis of my comparison when talking about the P2V.

Unboxing & Setup

The iPevo arrived in a very modest box, just as described on their website. Inside was everything needed: Articulated stand, the camera, and an attachment for use as a webcam. A disk and quick setup manual were also included.
Installation was done on an older MacBookPro running Snow Leopard. After inserting the disk and clicking the icon, installation took approximately 2 seconds. No joke, it was done. Easiest install I think I've ever done, even for a Mac. Already in a state of near disbelief, I started the program and plugged in the camera.

Instantly the live view appeared on screen, within the P2V program (which has a very cute icon). There's not much more to tell than that:
From opening the box to getting an image on the screen was less than a minute!

First Impressions

The camera is indeed very small and light. I'm not going to make this an overly technical review, but it definitely feels more like a webcam than the document cameras I'm accustomed to. Like a webcam, the only cable is USB, with no power cable required. Also like a webcam, the actual lens is tiny, which I assumed would mean a terrible image quality. Well, I was impressed. Below are some photos of the setup as I took some samples with the camera itself. Sure, it's not 1080p, but it's absolutely good enough for any classroom use.

Using the camera

The small form factor of the camera itself actually fits quite comfortably in the hand, and feels kinda like holding a marker.
The weighted, articulated stand is a clever design: between the hinged elements and rotating attachment points, the camera can be rotated into just about any angle. You might expect the stand to be flimsy and unstable, but there's enough weight in the base and tightness in the joints to hold the camera completely still, yet allow for very easy adjustments in angle. The camera pops on and off the attachment points just as easily as it should, yet presses on just as firmly as it needs to be. If over time and use these become worn and loose, I can see it being problematic to hold the camera in one position. I'll certainly let you know if that becomes the case.
Button placement seems ideally suited for capturing images while holding it like a pen, but it's difficult to hit the capture button without causing some shake/vibration to the image, whether handheld or on the stand. I found hitting the Enter key a much easier way of capturing images.
The autofocus button on the camera is smaller and used much more often than the equivalent on the SMART or Elmo models. This shouldn't be too surprising, since the more "stationary" document cameras wouldn't typically be changing the distance between the lens and subject very often; in sharp contrast, with the camera in hand I found it difficult not to be constantly pointing it to various objects in the room, near and far. Even so, the focusing was slow, but not noticeably slower than on the other models. Motion blur/slow frame rate were just as visible as on the others as well.
I was impressed with the clarity of the image at the closest limit of focus (approx. 2cm), although it does seem to "focus hunt" more than the other models, even when stationary. As if in response to this very issue, the only other switch is a slider which changes the focus mode from "continuous" to "single" mode, which eliminates the "hunting" issue.

I've included the actual captured images at their full size at the end of this post for your own evaluation.

Using the software

The software is, as I said, ridiculously easy to install.
Once installed, there are 3 main options: Live view, View images, and Fullscreen live view. Mac users will be reminded of Photobooth in the View mode, with thumbnails across the bottom. (Yes, I suppose it's also somewhat like the Filmstrip view in Windows, but not so much). I was hoping to be able to drag the image or thumbnails directly into other applications (a la Photobooth), but this is not so. By default, a folder is created in your Pictures folder, but this is easily changed in the options to, say, a desktop folder.
At first I was unsure as to why a Fullscreen view was necessary, but that became clear when I realized that the window in Live view mode is not scalable to full screen size. Fullscreen has the added benefit of removing all icons and menus from view for the "best possible" viewing experience, and reverts back to Live view with the Escape key, as expected.

Although the camera doesn't have the very impressive zoom of the others, there is a graduated zoom feature in the View mode, which goes from 100% to 300%. Additional software controls for the camera include slider adjustments to things like contrast, sharpness and saturation. Although these would likely be left untweaked by the majority of users, a little experimentation can easily yield some very creative captures for a variety of dramatic or artistic lesson ideas. A very handy exposure adjustment option gives users the option of brightening dark images at the point of capture, and is very effective. Also, resolution can be adjusted from 320x240 all the way up to 1600x1200, and the live image can be flipped either horizontally or vertically. A cute self-timer feature rounds out the software capabilities.

A nice little feature is an audio "chirp" that indicates focus is locked in, that many users will recognize from their digital cameras. There's also a very satisfying simulated camera shutter sound when images are captured, again very much like many digital cameras. Both of these sounds can be independently turned on or off in the menu as well.

Compatibility

Not surprisingly, applications like Photobooth and iMovie do not have any camera access while the P2V software is running. Once closed, however, both of those other programs offer a pulldown menu to choose which camera you'd like to use: built-in iSight, or P2V. This is a very nice option for Mac users who have traditionally relied on their built-in iSight cameras, which offer very limited viewing angles. Especially if coupled with a USB extension cable, this camera becomes a game-changer for students capturing directly to iMovie: No longer do they have to walk around with open laptops, the camera operator awkwardly peering around the corner of the screen to view what's being captured while trying to stay out of the frame. In my brief trial, both Photobooth and iMovie were able to switch between the two cameras seamlessly.

Accessories

The optional case is indeed an elegant way to carry around the P2V. About the size of a street-vendor hot dog, everything fits perfectly into the case and is even held in place by elasticized velcro. Unless you've already seen one, you're more likely to think it's a slightly more bulky eyeglass case than a document camera. The $30 price is a bit surprising for the case, considering the price of the camera.

The camera does come with a little accessory that will attach to the top of an LCD screen. This little clip is very functional, with a spring-loaded lip to allow for varying screen thicknesses. I would have liked it to be a slightly stronger spring in the clip; adjusting the camera angle was difficult without also inadvertently adjusting the clip placement.

If I had a wish, it would be for a standard tripod thread mount built into the camera body, just to add the option of a rock-solid platform for things like stop-motion animation or time-lapse projects. A simple re-moulding of the outer plastic case would do it, no changes to the electronics needed. I've also asked the company about the possibility of this feature, and will let you know should I receive a response.

Comparison Summary

The first point that many will notice, and for some the only point that matters, is the price difference. At over $800 for the SMART document camera, a 10-1 bang-for-buck factor will be difficult for schools to ignore.

The P2V does require a computer running it's software, whereas both the Elmo and SMART doc camera have the ability to connect directly to a projector with both VGA or composite cables, no computer required.

The small size of the P2V makes it ideal to throw into a laptop bag or even a shirt pocket, and bring to presentations. For those of us doing demos of iPods and iPads, it seems to be one of those "perfect things"as it gives you the ability to show a complete workflow of either device, without relying on one special video cable as well as any apps' compatibility with video out. Removing it from the stand gets me thinking about poking it into different parts of science experiments, or using it as a "field" camera with a laptop on a stage, in a gym or outdoors. These types of uses are more or less impossible with the larger ones.

Features are severely limited, compared to the desktop models. The absence of a microscope mode alone, for example, might prove a deal-breaker for some science teachers. I'm not sure how often other features like the additional zoom capabilities, "negative/reverse" view, etc... are used by most teachers, but these are all absent from the P2V camera and software, as is the small light. If the subject is dark, some other external light source would be needed, although there is a "brightness" slider in the software. Of course there's no current support for advanced features like augmented reality, 3D or OCR, as in the case of SMART. I did, however, upgrade my rating from 2 to 3 when I considered the small form factor an excellent feature.

In the case of the SMART document camera in particular, there is an additional workflow step to bring captured images into a program such as Notebook: Teachers would have to capture images then drag/import them before use in Notebook, as opposed to capturing and instantly using the images. I mention this specifically because Notebook is part of our board's standard elementary image.
That being said, I've contacted iPevo and asked them if they have any intention of adding, say, some basic markup features to their software. I'll certainly post an update should I receive a response.

Image quality, although good, is of lower quality in low light than the larger-lensed competitors. There's no way around this: Larger lens= more light getting in = better image, although the exposure compensation feature does a better job than I expected at making darker images brighter.

Conclusions

A somewhat expensive webcam, but an incredibly priced document camera.

This thing does 95% of what 95% of teachers in my experience use document cameras for. As much as I love the SMART document camera (and I really do love it), I'd happily give 10 teachers this device rather than tell 9 teachers they'll have to share.
Certainly every school should have one or two of the bigger, more capable models available, but I'd trade off any more than that for greater quantities of this featherweight contender.

Recommendation:
"Strong Buy"

Ratings:
Ease of use: 5/5
Features: 3/5
Build quality: 3/5

Value: 5/5

Technical knowledge required: Low
Price: $69.00 USD plus shipping

People who should have this: Teachers of any grade, any subject, from Pre-K to Post-Doctoral.

Availability
Web-order only http://www.ipevo.com/p2v
Canadian customers: http://www.merconnet.com/product_info.php?products_id=870

Please let me know what you think of this review... it's my first.
A special thanks to @cgu92 for ordering, pickup and delivery of my test unit.

I love my job.

(full-size sample images below
*NB: these images were captured at the default resolution of 1280x1024; higher resolution is also available through the menu)

Actual image captured with the setup pictured above.

Actual image captured from the setup pictured above.

iPads in the Classroom: 5 Experienced Teachers Weigh In

2011-01-04T22:30:00.000-05:00

Recently I was asked to address a room full of administrators on the subject of iPods/iPads/mobile devices in the classroom. With a few different options now appearing on our board's cost-sharing/purchase list, Ps and VPs are asking all the right admin-type questions: What about security? What about inappropriate usage? Liability? Charging and sharing schedules?

iPad kit rollout at an elementary school this week. Photo: Paul Yip

Before going in, I asked a few teachers their opinions, specifically with respect to the concerns mentioned. To be fair, these teachers were _not_ asked about pedagogical benefits or learning styles, but only about logistics and management. In terms of context, iPad use (or any mobile personal device, for that matter) is essentially in its infancy at our board: Some teachers have piloted small numbers of them this year and last, and some schools have purchased small numbers of iPod Touch devices that are typically shared between many classes.

Below are the responses I received from the teachers, copied here verbatim with their permission. Any italics or bold formatting are my own for the purpose of highlighting.

@royanlee was the first to respond:

Hey Paul,

I'm happy to help. I'm sure you of all people can empathize with my exasperation at times. I know it's important to talk logistics because there are MANY practical issues to consider. I sometimes get frustrated because so many people don't realize that the wifi and mobile possibilities are like a tipping point which entail, for many people in our system, an entire 180 in terms of how they look at learning period.

I digress.

Recess? No.

You definitely need somewhere to lock them up. You need cases. You need a school app store account. You need a smart, explorative teacher (not necessarily the 'tech guy') to choose apps. In my opinion, you don't necessarily need a cart. Just put them in (a) teacher's room and leave them there for a long time. Don't move them around. These are not imaged computers or a set of clickers. It's totally different.

Let me know if you need any more help!

Sent from my iPhone:-)

@slouca11 responded a few minutes later:

I see school-owned handhelds as serving a very specific role. At first they may be used as a way for administrators/teachers to figure out how these tools may benefit student learning. Buy a few and test them out. However, for these devices to truly be valuable on a large-scale, I think that at some point the switch needs to be made to allow student-owned devices to be brought in. The personal nature of these things makes it difficult to have them centrally owned and managed. Eventually the school-owned devices can be used to supplement the children who don't own one for themselves. Hopefully around this time the culture in the classroom also supports their use as they are best left on all day and in the hands of students, rather than locked away and brought out for specific events (especially in the older grades).

As for the logistics...definitely some challenges their but many are alleviated when the devices are student-owned (you can see what my preference is). In the meantime, some creative management around app purchases and charging are required. There is no easy (cheap) solution to these as you know.

Also I agree with what Royan said...and everything Angie and Tania are about to say ;)

Sent from my iPhone

@techieang responded next:

Hi Paul,

I'd like to give my perspective as a teacher and as a parent on the issues/concerns

topic of “concerns/issues” with respect to mobile devices in the classroom. Specifically, such mundane items as storage, charging, etc... “Do they bring them out for recess?” etc...

We are using them in several rooms in our school with great success. I definitely see iPods as a very useful tool and see the positive integration of a few in each primary room for listening centres and work stations. We are doing that successfully in the rooms of the teachers who plan together. We work as a team to manage/charge/download the stories, songs and apps. It is working and it's a cheaper way then purchasing listening centres. My TLT is now having his class bring in their own personal devices and he is finding that to be very successful. He locks them up when he's not the teacher in the room. He likes that he doesn't have to manage their personal devices, he has an agreement that is signed with parents about the use of the device for learning. He works with each student to decide how the device will meet their specific learning needs. This is true differentiation. I'm also seeing the power of the iPod as a tool for learning. Two of my students listen to instrumental music while doing independent writing tasks and tests. Their written output has doubled!

I ask what else do students have to do at recess time? As a parent I know my 3 children have a personal device attached to them all the time at home. They know how to use it appropriately. When they are at school it's banned for 2 of them. What other productive things do they have to do? Why can't they use them at recess time if an agreement is signed? My other son is in high school and the cell phones are banned unless used as a teaching device. He uses it in many classes and feels respected. He is also able to use it in the lunch room. This is his main way to communicate. I know the are bullying issues in other schools and they are using cell phones, but honestly the problem is bullying not cell phones. Address the real issues.

I just started using the iPads as an indoor recess activity. It took a lot of training and discussion but they are ready to use our new indoor recess apps. Apps selected that don't go on line. The indoor recess behaviours have significantly decreased and as a result our instructional time is much better. I think if administrators would benefit greatly by providing a choice of a device for each staff member. The administrator can use and model the use of the device in staff meeting. Teachers need to have their own devices in order to colearn with their students. They will block the use of the tool if they have never used the tool for learning. How do we provide access to the equipment for teachers?

In regards to board owned multiple devices, there are many issues. There needs to be a school iTunes account, there needs to be a way to manage who pays for apps. We need to work out when/who gives up time to manage these individual devices. Who looses preps to prepare the devices? There are software updates, scoping out time for the right apps and regular sycing and updating required. There also needs to be a laptop assigned to each multiple set of iPads/iPods for portability for the teacher in charge of the equipment. It works best with a team of teachers working together. I use a dollar store bucket to store and charge the iPads. The devices also require cases which is an additional cost. I see a lot of drawbacks for board owned devices and a lot of pluses for students bringing in their own devices. Why can't we access the tools students use at home? There does need to be a way to lock up the devices in a way that students still have access. If I'm absent, the tools are locked away and no one has access. Sometimes that's good depending on the supply teacher and sometimes it's very limiting because projects don't get finished. We also have to remember that iPads aren't regular computers. They don't publish the way some teachers traditionally think of computers. I find the iPads are more for practising skills and for creating and learning as opposed to logging on to produce a piece of paper.

It took a lot of work for me to integrate the iPads and iPods as learning tools. It's stretching me. I can't imagine how much it would overwhelm a teacher who has to focus on other instructional issues too.

I'm actually all for students using idevices in school and at recess time. It's time we did some staff knowledge building. How are they working with their students to build responsibility and respect for each other? Sidewalk chalk was banned at my school last year. I challenged this issue. Apparently there was a concern about graffiti. It's not about what tools our students have access to. It's more about how we respond to the tools and how we equip our students to use whatever tools they have in an appropriate manner.

My two cents,

Ang.

@royanlee again:

Ok ditto everything you guys have said (except for Stephen, who I find rather shifty;-)
On a scale of 1-10, how far away are we as a board where we will move from ‘if the teacher agrees’ to ‘you can bring whatever you want as long as you meet expectations?’ What do you guys think?
Some of the logistical pain with these devices is that people like Angie and I are serving as IT support for ourselves (I’ve been to the Apple Store over warranty issues 4 TIMES!), but, ironically, it is if schools figure out a way to image these devices that they will IMHO be completely pointless.
I love what you’re doing in primary there Angie. I feel like I’m using my devices (which I love, and prefer, in fact, over laptops) at only 20% strength because of having to share them with 108 kids.

Last but certainly not least was @taniasterling

You guys rock!
In addition to the logistical and philosophical challenges and mindshifts that have been mentioned, things like the student agendas and our board's stance on the Appropriate Use Policies will need revisiting. Someone should also develop a presentation for parents to help ease stress. Have you seen the one video that Todd posted on the Blueprints moodle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dBT9mmizL8 This is from the UK but it is a student persuading others to embrace ICT integration in schools. Wouldn't it be so easy to make our own version of this video following the exact same storyboard? We showed this as part of our School Council mtg and it was a huge hit! So much so that we want to create our own for Mackenzie Glen once our Blueprints networks come in and are up and running. The point is, it's participatory: parents are involved, kids co-presented to SC, SO give us network days for release time for TLCPs that we are tying to reading/writing improvement using targeted technology, admin is supportive, and tchrs are not afraid because we are providing them with job-embedded PD with awesome Paul Yip and Tara Wagg to harness new tools for awesome pedagogy!
One other thing I keep thinking is that 21C (for lack of another expression) teaching and learning requires 21C leading. Admin need to grasp how much more participatory learning and leasing is now. Maybe show some slides from Sherry Nussbaum Beach's ECOO ppt re: Jenkins, Danah Boyd et al.
Lastly, if admin is going to enable teachers and students to bring in and use handhelds etc... Then they would lead and learn along with them. Model, model, model... U know the spiel.
Sometimes admin listen more to fellow admin, so why not call on some of the awesome admin that r out there who have this vision to spark a "can do" attitude among their peers. Show them the www.connectedprincipals.com blog as a place to begin networking for ideas from fwd thinking, enabling admin.
Hugs and respect!
Peace out :~)
Tania

As for my own perspective, if these responses highlighted one thing for me it was the inconsistencies of school policies with respect to their uses. I see these personal devices at the same place IWBs were 5 years ago: Few, if any, in schools, with administrators facing issues of equity and expense, rolling them up and down hallways, feeling obliged to share the precious resources, with the devices not being used to their potential by any means.

In time, as these become more common, their potential as truly personal devices will be realized, just as it is now much more common to see a teacher and students utilizing a permanently mounted SMARTboard. The scarcity alone is preventing the few devices that are in our system from being used "properly".

Would Wayne Gretzky have become great if his class had to share one pair of skates?

No. But our skate exchange program is more popular than ever, and collectively we're Howie Meeker on a travelling road show.

I love my job.

@royanlee blogs at http://spicylearning.wordpress.com

@techieang blogs at http://techieang.edublogs.org/

@slouca11 blogs at http://meta44learning.wordpress.com

A Digital Storytelling tour de force; Educators, take note

2010-10-30T23:24:00.000-04:00

a.k.a. "Reach: The End of The Beginning"

This is not a video game review.

This is recognition, a salute, if you will, to a masterful piece of digital storytelling that will, for the most part, be completely unseen by the educational community at large. Of course digital storytelling is more than just telling stories proper, but in this particular case it's about the story.

In late 2001, Microsoft's X-box console was released. I know because I got one the next Christmas. At the time many decried the lack of titles available, but among the few launch titles was Halo: Combat Evolved. The protagonist of this title, called simply "the Master Chief", fights hordes of alien invaders bent on the complete extinction of the human race.

Epic? You could say so.

Original? Hardly.

Of course there have been many video games in which one plays the part of saviour, even saviour of the human race; why then, has this franchise remained resilient for nigh on a decade?

The answer is simple: It tells a good story.

Most teachers are at least somewhat familiar with elements of storytelling: Characters we can relate to, dynamic settings, an intriguing plot with some twists and reversals of expectations; combined with a variety of expository techniques, rich and detailed background stories, and you've got yourself a solid story, regardless of your chosen medium. The team at Bungie (software company) has put all of these elements in place with the right balance of music, sound effects, stunning visuals and high-action gameplay to produce a story so immersive, so compelling that it has managed to retain its momentum and loyal legion of followers through no less than 6 Halo video game titles. Notwithstanding the high quality of FPS (first-person shooter) gameplay, action alone does not a successful title make. I think we can all come up with more than a few examples of movies, TV shows or other video games that have failed due to a dearth of any one of those storytelling attributes mentioned above. Simply put, the Halo title would not be as successful as it is if not for the quality of story that it contains.

Speaking of success: I've already mentioned the video game titles (Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo Wars, Halo: ODST, Halo: Reach), but the story of humanity's fight against the alien hordes was rich and compelling enough to spawn other media forms as well. A few highlights:

A novel series details not only the events leading up to the video games, but events surrounding them as well.

The Halo Legends series of animated shorts explores deeply character-driven events within the timeframe of the video games in a variety of anime styles featuring guest directors.

Red vs. Blue, a successful machinima series, explores the humourous possibilities of combat using the Halo multiplayer engine to produce its episodes. (Machinima itself deserves recognition as a new media form of digital storytelling).

Webisodes, several CG and live-action "shorts" were filmed, many of which were released as TV commercials prior to game releases, all of which help to "fill out" the Halo universe that was created. (see embedded videos below).

The multiplayer gameplay modes bring real life camaraderie, the heights of victory and the bitterness of defeat to you and your friends in a way that "family game night" just can't compare to; a social aspect to gaming that makes it immeasurably more appealing than a single-player game.

This brings us to Halo: Reach, the most recent title released, and proclaimed by Bungie to be the final episode in the Halo franchise.

** SPOILER ALERT: HALO REACH ***

In the Halo timeline, the events of Reach occur just before the events of the originally released Halo: Combat Evolved. It's difficult to describe the effect this has on the player who has been with the franchise since the start, but try to imagine if you will: An epic story of struggle and survival with events and characters so compelling that you've maintained an emotional connection to the game stronger than any sitcom or TV drama. As the story of Reach progresses, events slowly start to fall into place, and you can see how things are leading up to the events from the original Halo: Combat Evolved. At a certain point the story unfolds and you realize that it's your mission, your actions that will not just set in motion but make possible the entire timeline that follows.

When you receive the package, and the future of humanity literally rests in your hands, the sense of duty is real.

The sense of honour is real.

Because you've played this story out for the last nine years, to be handed the key that makes it all possible was a chillingly sentimental moment. At the end of the game, the fall of Reach, we hear the very first words heard in that first game so many years ago, now heavier with meaning since it was you who made it all happen.

Like the circular namesake of the entire series, those simple lines of dialogue serve as perfect bookends to a masterfully told story.

Could the Halo story have stood on its own without the video game infrastructure providing a fan base? This may be akin to asking if the Star Wars movies would have been as successful if not for their merchandising. We could debate this point, but based on the volume of media created around the games, I'd say the answer is Yes. But even more than just Yes, these other elements are part of the story, not just trinkets to remember it by: This transforms the story into more than just a story, more than an event: an experience. The different elements cannot be separated from each other.

View any of the live-action videos and you'll see fine examples of compelling film-making that easily transcends any previously held notions of "typical" video game storytelling. (see below for two of my favourites).

[ Kat is a female soldier who fights alongside you in Halo: Reach. This short trailer manages to portray her conviction as well as explain an injury that's never explained in the game itself. ]

[ This series of TV spots collectively brings emotions and elements of immersion to previously unheard of heights for a video game. Of particular interest are the first and last clips. ]

Within the games themselves, the characters have personality, even personality quirks; a sense of humour; a sense of honour; and are made all the more real by the excellent choice of in-game voice actors used, from Nathan Fillion (star of Firefly/Serenity and most recently Castle), to the alluring yet authoritative Jen Taylor (veteran voice and stage actress).

The story exists as the sum total of all these elements and media forms together: multi-modal, multi-media, multi-dimensional digital storytelling; a story that we can read, play, play with, collect, experience live with friends, post on our walls, laugh with and die with in infinite combinations while being part of a global community ready and willing to delve into the same "story" time and time again because we collectively write a new chapter every time we go online.

Now that's a book club all our students could get on board with.

As educators, there are lessons to be learned here:

The full potential of digital storytelling has absolutely no boundaries.

Technology notwithstanding, content is still key.

As classroom teachers, there are lessons to be learned here:

Don't limit any assignment to just one media form; in fact, encourage the use of multiple forms to leverage the strength of any individual tool, realizing the inherent limitations of each tool.

Collaboration for these Rich, Culminating Tasks becomes a very real possibility, with different students all possibly working on different aspects of the same project

Eg: Grade 4 Medieval unit: (Ontario overall expectations):

- identify and describe major features of daily life and social organization in medieval European societies from about 500 to 1500 C.E. (Common Era);

- relate significant elements of medieval societies to comparable aspects of contemporary Canadian communities.

A bitstrips comic strip could be used to portray the daily routines of life of a young boy or girl, using dialogue to identify social positions. Difficult to demonstrate any depth of knowledge or understanding with this tool, though. (A nice connection here to Media Literacy: Possible segue to a graphic novel unit.)

Audacity could then be used to record an audio blog of that same child, read in role by the student, describing one of the events from the comic strip, complaining or celebrating within the context of the time. A second audio blog could be made of by the student as him/her self, complaining or celebrating a similar event in his/her current life. (Scriptwriting as a text form; also Media Lit again for Audience and Purpose; Drama).

"wanted" or "for sale" items could be written up for a paper-based medieval version of Craigslist or Kijiji; item descriptions could include their uses, as well as target buyers/sellers

In the same way that bards would compose songs or poems to celebrate events, students could compose a song or poem to celebrate a significant event in their own life. Audio or video could be recorded, or the song could be performed live for the class, as before the medieval court. Students could post the lyrics and recordings of their songs on a glog, or shared in a podcast aggregator (Poetry language connection).

Record or perform a live panel discussion between two similar stations of society, one medieval and one contemporary. (Drama connection).

Have students write a description for an "app" that would have helped a medieval boy or girl perform their duties. The write-up should be in the style of an App Store description. (Media Lit: Purpose, Audience).

For even more ideas and perspectives, why not have different students complete the different aspects of the assignment? Collaboration, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, basically all the Learning Skills could be addressed this way, with technology tools such as Google docs and mindmeister enabling the entire process.

Students could keep individual blogs of the entire process to track and reflect on not only their content learnings but metacognitive awareness as they work through the unit. (Assessment for learning).

As much as I'd like to go on, this is already far longer than I ever wanted any blog post to be. For the above examples, I certainly don't intend for them to serve as complete lesson or unit plans, but just some concrete ideas that support the lessons we can learn from the fine example of digital storytelling provided us by the folk at Bungie.

I love my job.

A Question of Vision

2010-10-22T23:36:00.000-04:00

The other day I received an email that went something like this:

"Hi Paul, at our elementary school we have a constant problem with the laptops. When a teacher signs them out and uses them for the morning, even if they're returned to the charging cart, the laptops aren't charged for the next teacher to use. How should we manage this?"

It's a pretty common question, in paradigm if not specifics, sometimes taking the form of, "Should we buy iPads for our students?"

Photo: Paul Yip

My reply was not what the teacher was looking for, but really spoke to what the school needed.

I replied that it really depends.
It depends on the vision of technology integration that your school/administrator prescribes to, which will determine the professional development delivered, which will affect the hardware distribution, which will affect the hardware usage, which will effect the issues of charging and management associated with it.
To wit: If the teacher is trying to build a lab-type environment in the classroom, with all students typing away at the same time on the same thing, then the only solution really is to buy class sets of laptops. This is neither realistic nor pedagogically sound, and certainly doesn't fit our board's notion of "best practices" with technology. This is no different than the old novel studies, where every student receives the same novel and goes through it at the same pace.
If, however, the staff were to receive some PD around differentiated instruction, project-based or challenge-based learning, learning centres, got to know our CMS a little better, then perhaps the entire cart of laptops wouldn't be needed for big blocks of time, and a small supply of, say, 5 per class would serve very well as powerful resources to support all those instructional strategies mentioned above. Even better, if students were permitted to bring in their own devices and taught how to use them, this would also alleviate the "need" for class sets of laptops. Of course this presupposes the kind of transformational classroom paradigm we're always hearing about: 21st century, changing role of the teacher, student-centred, etc...

Fortunately for the school, the conversation occurred. Unfortunately for too many schools, due to a variety of reasons this conversation never takes place, and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of very good equipment either sits idle or worse, is grossly misused and is actually detrimental to student achievement.

So ultimately it comes down to a question of vision: Is that the direction the school is going?

It was a great conversation starter, and led to a meeting with the teacher and principal around the issue of vision and how it pertains to technology purchasing and management.

I love my job.

ADE2010 Group Project video

2010-09-05T01:49:00.000-04:00

Poised on the precipice of another school year, it seems like yesterday and forever ago at once that I was at the Apple Distinguished Educator Summer Institute.

Above is the video that my group created, the theme of which was that we all have a story to tell.

The video is intended to be not just a stand-alone piece but an invitation to educators/students to submit their stories in order to spread the word of how technology integration has changed lives.

The vehicle/mechanism in this case is Posterous; (see link at end of video). Fraught with issues if used in an elementary environment, the site itself is genius in its simplicity and ease of use.

While I believe in the purpose of this project and what our group has created, I do not believe the actual video on this site will ever fulfill its destiny, simply because elementary and secondary school boards have their own limitations of sharing as well as homegrown solutions/forums for same.

Nevertheless, as a proof of concept, there it is.

Happy Canada Day!

2010-07-02T10:27:00.000-04:00

I know I'm a few hours late on this, and it might be a stretch to see how this post fits into the manifesto for this blog, but celebrating Canada Day here in the nation's capital Ottawa was truly a spectacular event.

Here's a short video (less than 2 min) of some of the photos I took yesterday.
The slideshow itself qualifies as "quick and dirty", but it's all I have time for at the moment (using my tethered iPhone connection to upload!)

I may post a verbose reflection later, but more likely a point-form list of highlights.
Comments are welcome, and if you let me know your favourite shot from the video, I might post a large still of it so you can download.

How did you spend your Canada Day?

Technical notes:
Photos processed and slideshow created with Aperture 3 on a MacBook Pro
All photos taken by me.

Highlights of the day:

- changing of the guard
- RCMP Musical Ride
- PM Harper
- The Queen
- Ron MacLean
- Barenaked Ladies
- Fireworks of course!
- Just being here in the city for this event; maybe it's like being at the Mann Chinese Theater in Hollywood for the opening of a new Star Wars movie, with everyone all around you in costume, the air itself feeling alive with excitement... sorry, my geek might be showing...

The Mind of a Child: Manifesto

2010-06-30T00:35:00.000-04:00

I love the way children learn, especially when they're really little.

If they want to say something, they say it.
If they want to taste something, they eat it.
If they want to feel something, they grab it.

If they want to know something, they ask, "why?"

This leads adults to react in the ways we know how to simply because they are time-honoured traditions, passed on from generation to generation:

"Be quiet..."
"Take that out of your mouth..."
"Put that down.."
"Because... now stop asking me 'why'..."

But what if one day someone broke from tradition, didn't follow the norm?
What if someone let children speak, and listened to every word?
What if someone let children explore, and experience all that they wanted to?

What if someone had infinite patience, and answered every question a child ever asked?

The mind of a child knows no boundaries of learning, and truly believes all things are possible.

This blog is dedicated to the Mind of a Child: The journey towards reclaiming that state, both personally and professionally, as well as helping others to do the same in their classrooms and schools, often through sharing a vision of technology integration that empowers and enables students of every age to know no boundaries and truly believe all things are possible.

"Truly wonderful the mind of a child is."
~ Master Yoda, AOTC