Wrap Week 7

You can listen to this podcast on the University's iTunes site or here is the direct link to the podcast: Wrap Week 7

If you would rather read than listen, here is the text of what I said in the podcast:

Our primary focus this week was on preparing for podcasts which started today and assessing our progress in establishing a Personal Learning Network. We also began Comments4Teachers. I will soon post the two Skype interviews we had with Ms. Kelly Hines and Ms. Kathy Cassidy last week. I just finished listening to both interviews for the third time. They are filled with excellent advice and wonderful insights about PLNs, Twitter, technology, and teaching in general. If you were not present when these interviews were recorded you have another assignment: Listen to them or watch them. They will be on the class podcast in iTunes, the class blog and the USA iTunes for EDM310. Each is between 30 and 35 minutes long.

Finally, and I emphasize finally, 81% of you (114 out of 140) have completed the questionnaire I posted on the class blog two weeks ago. Next week is midterm week. The Midterm Reflection is a REQUIRED examination as specified in the Syllabus (p. 7). By the way, you have seen the search box in the Syllabus, haven't you? That search box is now present in all .pdf documents! Back to the Midterm Reflection. It will be similar to the questionnaire I posted on February 15. HOWEVER, it must be completed by 12 midnight Thursday March 11. If you do not complete it by then you will face SERIOUS penalties!

Failing to do things on time in EDM310 is not acceptable as I have stated over and over and over again! You cannot afford to be late with your assignments and get behind in your work in this class.

If you were on time with the first reflective questionnaire, thank you very much!

So let's take a look at the projects you have to do for this class:
1. Class Blog Well underway
2. Presentation - Completed
3. Comments4Kids - Ongoing. Some kids are being disappointed when they get no comments but for the most part this is going well. We have gotten a large number of thank you messages from teachers and students in the form of emails and blog comments.
4. PLNs - Started
5. Google Docs Form - It is time you learned how to do your Doc and get it underway. The sooner the better. Links to a variety of instructional materials are in the Syllabus. And there is also Google and Google help. Can be done rather quickly after some thought and planning.
6. Skype - using it yet? Very useful!
7. VoiceThread (or Vocaroo) - Time to learn how to use one or both of these tools and to put them to use.
8. Google presentation, VoiceThread or movie for YouTube - Time to get started.
9. Comment4Teachers - underway
10. Timetoast Timeline - an easy assignment. You can get this completed quickly so go ahead and do it.
11. Professional Blog or Collective Blog - I will have more information after the Spring Break. You should be thinking about this as you do the Comments4Teachers assignment.
12. Google Earth project - takes a good bit of time. You should be learning about Google Earth NOW
13. Videocast/Podcast - doing this week
14. Substantive Presentation - will take up much of the time after Spring Break
15. Interview - Short, but takes a bit of time to set up.

Six projects are started or underway. I would suggest that you aim for getting Numbers 5 (Form); 6 (Skype); 7 (VoiceThread or Vocaroo) and 10 (Toast Timeline) done before Spring Break. Or at least mostly done. These four are relatively quick and easy. That will leave five for the second half of the semester.

Again I can't emphasize enough that you should call, email Skype, or SMS with questions. Also ask questions during lab time.

Don't forget the midterm Reflection (Questionnaire ) next week. It will be posted by noon next Monday March 8.