School uniforms of the future March 4, 2007
Posted by Joseph Papaleo in General, Mobile Phones, classroom, podcasts.2 comments
In the 1970s, I watched the Dick Tracy cartoon where the detective, Dick, would speak into his watch and communicate with headquarters. In the 1960s, Maxwell Smart from Get Smart was a popular show where the bumbling hero spoke into his shoe phone and had all sorts of gadgets.
Recently, Nike and Apple got together to release the “Nike +” running shoes and iPod Sport Kit, designed for use by joggers.
The Sport Kit allows your Nike+ shoe to talk to your iPod nano. The sensor uses a sensitive accelerometer to measure your activity, then wirelessly transfers this data to the receiver on your iPod nano. See source
With these shoes and iPod, joggers can now listen to music that syncs with their running tempo. A slow jog delivers a slower beat, a sprint changes the music to a more upbeat song. I really hate jogging, so I can’t see myself ever getting these items.
I remembered seeing an article about Levi releasing a new pair of jeans for the iPod with an “invisible” pocket to hide the iPod while it had a special controller in the watch pocket. 
I also found that jackets are now available where the iPod fits to the inside of the jacket and the sleeve becomes the controls.
What gadgets will students have in the future? We are getting closer to a convergence of technologies where mobile phones and cameras and GPS and voice recorders and music players and computers will be incorporated into one device. How long before these devices will replace laptop or desktop computers and become part of a student’s tools?
So if jean, shoe and jacket companies can make special items for the iPod, what will the school uniform of the future look like?
Will school uniform committees be brave enough to allow students to wear clothing that allows these new devices to be worn in such a way that they can be used in class? Will they consider student safety as they get to and from school by ensuring these devices are hidden from view?
I have a son who has trouble with handwriting and spelling. My hope is that by the time he gets to secondary school, he will be able to use a voice recorder to record his thoughts, stories, answers, essays, etc. and have his computer convert it to text for him. Imagine a uniform that had a microphone in the lapel of a jacket that was so designed to record only the wearer’s voice. This could then be turned into podcasts or text as described above.
Will classrooms of the 21st Century still be contained within 4 walls? I hope not. Imagine students taking their tools safely from learning site to learning site and using the tools at their disposal. A camera, computer, mobile phone and GPS for safety. It is conceivable that these will be in one device in the future and small enough to fit within a sleeve or pocket or even on the student’s wrist.
Of course, many teachers would argue that all of this is coddswallop. I’d argue I could teach many innovative things if this were to occur. Would students be easily distracted? Of course. But give them a real, rich and relevant learning task and they will stay focussed and interested.
So what will the uniform of the future look like?
Excellent examples of Computers in 21stC Eduk8n February 17, 2007
Posted by Joseph Papaleo in Colleagues, classroom, podcasts.2 comments
On our first day back this year, we had a combined campus secondary teachers’ meeting. I got word that there was going to be a presentation on how IT can be used in the classrooms. I was actually rapt that someone would be presenting and a little jealous it was not me!
Our Head of School started the session and spoke about this teacher and how many others would not think of him as a user of IT in the classroom. He introduced a colleague based at our other campus, Colin Turner. I really don’t know Colin well and it will be an aim to get to know him much better now I have seen what he did in class. I have seen Colin at various PD sessions at work and he has been an active particiapnt in AGQTP activity that I organised last year. I always wondered why he showed up to many of these sessions and now I know why!
Colin got up and spoke as a non-IT professional and showed how he used camera phones, iPods, podcasts and PhotStory in his English classes. He spoke passionatley about his Romeo and Juliet unit where the students “switched on” when he used an iPod recorder to get them to record their inner most thoughts. He stated that some of his most difficult students took to the learning activity and benefited from it in their exam.
He also showed us how he got students to write very personal pieces by supplying various cartoon images of characters in different poses. They wrote their piece and inserted the image that best represented the “mood” they were in. To finish the topic off for the students, he produced large posters of the writing and pictures and displayed them in the library. Apparently, the Librarians reported that it was one of the more popular displays in the library.
He also got his students to take pictures of an item in the school yard using their mobile phone camera (if they had one). They then wrote a descriptive piece to describe the photo without mentioning what it was. To top it off for the students, he put the final piece into PhotoStory with some nice relaxing music to “show off” the work. The writing was not the focus for the PhotoStory piece, nor was the photo. But rather, I felt that the students would have seen how much they wrote and how each of them did the same thing. A new confidence boost for some I’m sure.
Well done Colin. I look forward to learning more from you. As a Maths/IT teacher, this is how I would envisage IT would be used in an English classsroom, but couldn’t get through to some “dinosaurs” over the years who were not prepared to listen. To see Colin do it on his own was inspirational.
Rumour has it that after his talk, some of his own English faculty bailed him up. Pity that some dinosaurs (any older teacher that refuses not to look at new technological practices) feel compelled to bring down the educational uses of the tools that the students are using in their everyday life to suit their style of antiquated teaching.
The sooner dinosaurs in any school evolve or retire, the better.
The Open Classroom November 23, 2006
Posted by Joseph Papaleo in AGQTP/AISV, Ed Blogger, Web2.0, blogs, classroom, podcasts.add a comment
I’ve organized an afternoon “chat” called “The Open Classroom” for some of our staff next week as part of our AGQTP/AISV New Technologies program. I call it a “chat” as it isn’t PD, nor is it a lecture, nor a workshop. More of a “what is this blogging stuff and where can it take us?“. There will be no compulsion for staff to set up a blog afterwards, but I hope that some start to see the possibilities of creating Open Classrooms in the future. Our school has links with other schools around the world, in particular the Round Square organization, whereby, students participate in yearly conferences, International projects and exchange programs.
So enter three very qualified speakers or presenters from Melbourne – Jane Westworth, Jo McLeay, James Farmer. All are educational bloggers and have been doing so for quite some time. I have deliberately asked these three people because their backgrounds are so different to my own. At times, I feel as though I don’t get across to some of our administrators as they may see me as some type of techno-wizard (hopefully not a geek). As many of our administrators are of a Humanities background and I have a Mathematical / Science / IT background, we sometimes see things differently.
Jane is an English /ESL / Drama teacher – Lecturer / Researcher and a member of the Advocacy group at VATE. Jane is currently teaching at RMIT and working on a PhD at Monash. She is proud of the fact that she is not IT savvy. Yet, Jane has been using blogs since 2002 when they were first established. She has used them for her research and taught using various types of blogs for 4 years (a long time in blogging circles). She has achieved great success with ESL learners and students returning to study and her work has interesting parallels with our ELICOS center, English, Primary, LOTE classes and our Round Square community and Open Classrooms.
Jo is also an English teacher, member of VATE and she is completing a Masters of Education. She uses blogs in her classrooms and uses them for assessment purposes, an area that seems to get neglected as I read through other teachers blg entries (or perhaps I’m not looking hard enough yet). I enjoy reading her blog as she has used technology in ways that some of our staff may consider “gimmicky“, but in my opinion, she is using the technology to enrich student learning. Isn’t that our job? Jo’s blog is called “The Open Classroom” and I have borrowed this name for the presentation.
James has his own section in my last post.
How to Become a Millionaire!! OR Teaching students how to podcast November 14, 2006
Posted by Joseph Papaleo in Web2.0, podcasts.add a comment
If I were to teach students how to podcast, I would give them meaningful assignments and get them to create from the start. As an IT teacher, it is my job to teach the students about the technology at their fingertips and then it is up to both them and their teachers to use the technology. And I think after many years, I have come to a realisation that at times, I too have made mistakes in my own classes, focussing too much on the technology instead of making it relevant and meaningful. So how can I do it and get the students to learn about technology at the same time? I would be interested in hearing back from others about their experiences or this proposed unit outline.
Unit Title: How to become a Millionaire!!
Activities
NB. No times given – I like to let it flow and see how the class reacts. I also like to set new challenges to individual students as they accomplish one thing and before I know it, they have taught each other. The students sometimes think it is completely unplanned.
- Create a wiki for students to add notes, comments, tips, tricks, etc. Must contribute at least x number of articles (depending on the number of students). USe throughout the unit, especially when there is equipment malfunction.
- Produce a list of capabilities and limitations (introduction to VCE Year 12 work) for each software/technology.
- Students produce and save a few .wav files using sound recorder on the PC. I would not do any teaching, but rather ask them to talk about their facourite sport, TV show, food, game, etc and keep it for later use
- A limitation is that they canonly record for 1 minute using this software – ideal for the first acitivity.
- Discuss web safety. There should be a discussion on how how anything that they create (video, website, e-mail, SMS, podcast) can be retrieved and used many years later. Refer to the recent controversial DVD produced by students in Werribee, Victoria and how that digital evidence is now being used against them. Discuss how employers now do a Google search to discover whatever they can about that employee. Discuss how personal information should never be put online, even if the other person appears to be nice.
- Show students podOmatic.com. Discuss how the site works. I would not engage in any discussion about Odeo as it has easliy accessible pornographic content. Gcast is another podcast site, and it has links to Odeo, so I would not discuss it either.
- Allow students a few minutes to explore the podOmatic site.
- Invite students to create their own site on podOmatic.
- First podcast – Upload the files they created in Step 2.
- As it uploads, podomatic will ask the students if they want to send a link to others. Encourage them to send a link to 3 people sitting at their table
- Listen to theirs – listen to others. Have fun.
- Upload more .wav files.
- Download other people’s files and/or add comments.
- Someone will start creating a podcast from within the site. Encourage them to write text to go with the podcast and that it is going out to a potential worldwide audience. Take care with what they say and write.
- If possible, customise podOmatic.
- Discuss uploading music files and legalities of doing so in Australia.
- Use mobile phones (where possible) to create a sound recording and upload it to the site.
- Challenge activity: Can they download a file to their phone (free ringtones)
- Introduce students to audacity and work in that environment for a few lessons with activites -editing soundtracks, creating new files using loops, etc. More on this another time.
- Post new files to podOmatic.
- Assignment: Ring Tones – a Multi Billion$ industry.
- Find articles about the Ringtone industry and how they are raking in the money (why aren’t I doing it this?). Prepare an assignment (doesn’t have to be written!)
- Encourage students to create a ringtone for their own use.
- Upload them and allow others to download if they wish
- Discuss RSS if it is new to them.
- Discuss podcatchers and how they can be used.
- I guess that by this stage, there would be no need to teach students how to download files to their iPods or other mp3 players.
These are just my thoughts on a possible unit to do in the classroom. Maybe I’ll do it one day, or someone may borrow it and adapt it.
NB. I thought of this idea and made some recordings on my mobile phone today while sitting at traffic lights. Sadly, my wife took the wrong phone and I’ll have to upload it later.
Interactive WhiteBoard PD & User Groups November 9, 2006
Posted by Joseph Papaleo in AGQTP/AISV, IWB, UserGroups, podcasts, wiki.comments closed
Today, a group of our staff (Primary and Secondary) got together and had Jeremy Radkovic demonstrate the SmartBoard software. I have been using one for some time, but as it ties in with the Australian Government Quality Teachers Program I am leading, I attended anyway. Although it was aimed at “beginners”, I was still able to pick up a few tips.
It was interesting to see how some staff members could see how they could use the technology in their classrooms. In the past, it didn’t matter to them, but as we will be getting a few more SmartBoards as of next year, more staff will have access to them and therefore, the interest levels increase.
Jeremy’s knowledge of the product is excellent and I would recommend anyone in Melbourne to ask for him if they are organising a PD session for their staff. He is able to take an idea and show how the resources contained within the board can be used.
A way to ensure our staff keep the interest levels up was to form a Technology User Group. So far, our school and 4 or 5 others have shared PD sessions and we hope to continue similar sessions in the future. We hope that through this User Group, teachers with similar interests will develop and share resources with each other. Also, having meetings once a term and sharing resources via a wikispace with each other means lessons can be designed for our Victorian curriculum.
In the near future, we will be having our first Podcast User Group meeting. If you would like to join us, please let me know. Again, the idea would be to share ideas with interested teachers, rotate the meeting venues, and develop resources with other like minded people. Something like social networking, only in the flesh.
Has anyone out there in the edublogosphere had success with developing and sharing resources with others in your district instead of working on their own? I’d love to hear how it went.
podOmatic = podmail September 27, 2006
Posted by Joseph Papaleo in General, Paul Harrington, Screencast, Web2.0, blogs, mathematics, podcasts.comments closed
With thanks to Paul Harrington and Judy O’Connell, I have just stumbled on podOmatic. This site is similar to Odeo (but in my opinion, it is “safer” – read the end comment) and allows users to create podcasts and store them on their server for access by anyone else. But, the most exciting thing for me is it is now possible to have a podmail account.
What is podMail?
podMail is just like regular email, only different. With podMail, you now have the power to create your own audio or upload existing audio from your computer and podMail it right into your friend’s iPod!What kinds of messages can I receive at my podomatic.com e-mail address?
Although you can send anything to anyone using podMail, we restrict what kinds of messages get to you from the e-mail world. This is to prevent spam from going into your account. So if you’re using podMail, send whatever you want! If you’re using an e-mail client, or you are asking your friends to send you e-mail @podomatic.com, remember that e-mail from the outside world must include an mp3 attachment to be delivered to you @podomatic.com.Where does podMail go?
podMail goes from podOmatic into your iPod. We transfer it from our servers through podAmigo into your daycast, where you can hear it at your leisure.Who can hear my podMail?
Only you. It has the same privacy characteristics as email.
k – 12 Online Conference “Unleasing the Potential” September 25, 2006
Posted by Joseph Papaleo in Screencast, Skype, Video Conference, Web2.0, blogs, podcasts.comments closed
Announcing the first annual “K12 Online 2006″ convention for teachers, administrators and educators around the world interested in the use of Web 2.0 tools in classrooms and professional practice. This year’s conference is scheduled to be held over two weeks, Oct. 23-27 and Oct. 30- Nov. 3 with the theme “Unleashing the Potential.” The K12 Online 2006 blog has just gone live.
On the conference blog you will also find the web form we will be using for the submission of proposals. Everyone is encouraged to submit a proposal. More details are on the conference blog: www.k12onlineconference.org. The blog will be updated regularly with everything you need to know about the conference.
This is such an exciting concept. Having people from around the world share ideas and resources. Many of these people are experts in the use of Web 2.0 technology in education, so why wouldn’t you participate in such a great idea?
And if you are in Australia like me, there is no reason to miss out as presentations will be made available for download.
Well done to the organisers.
ScreenCasts September 14, 2006
Posted by Joseph Papaleo in Ewan McIntosh, Screencast, Web2.0, blogs, podcasts.comments closed
I just listened to and watched Ewan McIntosh’s screencast on Web 2.0 technology. His ideas are great and it is something I’ll have to re-watch. His discussion on blogs and podcasts is quite stimulating.
So how will screencasts help us teachers? I recently had a student who was going to miss a term of school to go on a family holiday back to his parent’s homeland. Most of his holiday was going to be spent in and around the family home, so he wasn’t travelling around much. We were about to start Algebra in our Maths class and he didn’t want to fall behind. He had access to the internet and e-mail, so we discussed the possibility of me sending him the class notes that I was using my Tablet PC and Projector or Interactive WhiteBoard (IWB) to generate. I also wanted to send him a podcast to go with the notes, but he said that he wouldn’t require them as he would get help from his older cousins and relatives if he got stuck. I missed out on this educational journey, but perhaps it would have been so much easier to create a Screencast.
I’ll be producing a ScreenCast in the near future (after I’ve played with some software). In the meantime, if you are interested in looking into it further yourself, take a look at the Mathcast site. A great introduction to Screencasting and Mathematics.
Thanks to Will Richardson September 14, 2006
Posted by Joseph Papaleo in Personal, Skype, Web2.0, Will Richardson, blogs, podcasts.comments closed
Before getting into this blog proper, I must say thanks to Will Richardson. I stumbled upon his blog some time in 2005 and started to follow it religiously. At that stage, I didn’t know how to use RSS, so I set up my Mozilla browser to access his page every time I accessed the Internet. His blog entries have helped me get a better understanding of how I can use this technology in my classes and at work.
I’ve been working on a project to introduce interested staff at my school to Web 2.0 technology. Part of my project was to show how Video Conferencing could be used for PD or in class. What better way to do it than to ask Will to speak at our seminar, speaking from his home in the States to our school in Melbourne, Australia. Time zones were sorted out and technical issues resolved. Unfortunalty, there were a few technical issues on the day, but we managed to have a Skype Video call (we could see Will, he couldn’t see us!) and we were also able to see his presentation on our projector as he controlled it (thanks must go to Chris Ross and Winston Mattson).
So Will, thanks heaps. Now all I need to do is get you here one day.
