Emergency Link for Instruction Manual, Syllabus and Other EDM310 Documents

Click on Emergency Link for EDM310 Documents and you will find there links to download the Instruction Manual, Syllabus and other EDM310 documents. The server on which they are regularly housed is down. Efforts are currently underway to return the servers to service but it is turning out to be like the oil well - more difficult than first imagined. All EDM310 Summer 2010 documents are now available on the Emergency site.

Comments For Kids

Earlier this week I got this email from Dorothy Burt, Director of eLearning at Pt. England School in Auckland, New Zealand:

Hi there

We are LOVING the podcasting comments coming through from your students. Thank you for sending them our way again :)
We have a 'new' mantra this year for commenting. We came up with it for the kids, but it works just as well for us teachers.

We ask, Is it Positive, Thoughtful, Helpful?

Positive - the obvious positive affirmation
Thoughtful - engaging with the content of the post in some way
Helpful - this is the feedback/feed forward aspect. Discerning the learning intention and trying to be helpful.

Your students are doing a great job of this without having our 'mantra' in front of them.

In another email which Ms. Burt sent to her colleagues she especially praised Alana Carpenter's comments left for the students at Pt. England School. She said:

Isn't this a great comment from one of Dr Strange's students? I am thinking I will save this as an exemplar - for myself :)

Alana Carpenter has left a new comment on your post "KPE Episode 276: "Duster"":

Hi girls, I am from Dr. Strange's class, too. I was most impressed by your use of "first, next, then, and finally." You are showcasing some excellent sequencing skills. In addition, your dialogue was very fluent. You made the story come to life as you incorporated personal experiences with your own dog. I wish I could meet Duster. I guess I will just have to read the book. It is so awesome to see you using technology at such an advanced level. I say advanced because I am just learning how to utilize podcasting and other technical tools. If you would like to see some of the things we have been learning here is a link to my blog. My Blog

Dorothy

It is wonderful to get praise like this, especially from a person who directs the best school wide educational technology program in the world!

So students, keep up the good work. And remember:

We ask, Is it Positive, Thoughtful, Helpful?

Positive - the obvious positive affirmation
Thoughtful - engaging with the content of the post in some way
Helpful - this is the feedback/feed forward aspect. Discerning the learning intention and trying to be helpful.

I would also remind you that you should NOT ask the students about themselves or the other students. If you have a question about the class, the teaching techniques used, or the students in the class ASK THE TEACHER! You are learning to be a professional. That is how professionals interact with students and teachers.

MidtermReflection (Examination) Has Been Closed

It is 12:00 (actually 12:13). The Midterm Reflection (Examination) has been closed. If you did not complete the midterm you should contact me immediately by telephone. Seven students did not complete the midterm.

Midterm Reflection (Examination) Due at Noon Today

Your Midterm Reflection (Examination) must be submitted no later than noon today. It was sent to you by Gmail at 10:00 am yesterday. I can guarantee you that you do not want to fail to get your Midterm in on time!

SmartBoard Practice

The SmartBoard for the EDM310 Lab has not yet arrived. Arrangements have been made for you to use the following rooms for SmartBoard Practice and Projects:

Room 3350 Monday - Thursdays 9:00-12:30
Room 3228 Wed 6/30, Thur 7/1, and Fri 7/2 12:30-2:00
Room 3226 Monday 6/28 12:30-2:00

Teams Podcast Topic Projects and SmartBoard Project

These is now a document in your Google Docs where you should list your team for the Podcast Topics Project and the SmartBoard Project. Please add your team as it is formed.

Midterm Reflection (Examination)

The Midterm Reflection (Examination) has been sent to your Gmail account. Complete it no later than noon on Wednesday June 23, 2010. Click the Submit button only once. I will send you an email after I get your submission. If you have submitted your form but have not received an email from me by noon Wednesday, contact me by phone or by Gmail.

Thanks.

SmartBoard

I have created a new document Using a SmartBoard and Creating A SmartBoard Project and have made it available to you in your Google Docs. Your SMARTBoard Project is due July 5, 2010.

Midterm Reflection (Examination)

The Midterm Reflection (Examination) will be sent to you by Gmail on Tuesday by 10:00 am. You will have 24 hours to complete it.

I Don't Know. Let's Find Out.

When you have a question, look it up. That's the wonderful advantage of living in a world when almost all information is available at all times and in all places. (I borrow that phrase for the book Gutenberg II published in 1978 and the prediction of the authors that all information would be in all places at all times by 2000. They were a bit off in the timing, but correct in the prediction. And they were talking only about text.)

I have read many posts in which a student raises a question but does not take the next step to find out. As teachers we need to set an example and be learners as well. Here is one example of what I mean. (There are many other students who could also serve as examples, but I have selected this example because I just encountered it.)

In her post on The Virtual Choir, Laura Ashley Butler liked the choir but added "...I just think that the sounds and voices may have been altered and edited. I would like to hear what the video would sound like raw." That made me ask myself "How was it done?" So I Googled Virtual Choir and the second link down was The Virtual Choir: How We Did It. It is very interesting. Next semester it will be part of the assignment if I continue to use The Virtual Choir.

So read and listen to this "answer" to the question that Laura Ashley's post raised in my mind. Take away from this that we all should model the behavior of asking questions and then searching for answers!

Major Revision to Instruction Manual

As I predicted the Instruction Manual is undergoing many revisions this semester. I have just released Version 1.4. It is a major update. If you are not using Version 1.4. It changes and/or clarifies several due dates and adds additional information on several assignments including the current assignment through the assignments for July 5. If you are not using Version 1.4 of the Instruction Manual, you should be!

SmartBoard Project Due Date Changed From June 23 to July 5

SmartBoard Project Due Date Changed From June 23 to July 5. Watch the Class Blog for further information.

Still Another Version of Instruction Manual

Additional errors have been corrected throughout the Instruction Manual version 1.3. The correction to the Blog assignment for Sunday 6/20 has been added to the Instruction Manual. In addition you are being alerted to the fact that SmartBoard Instructions (and the new and bigger SmartBoard) have been delayed. Watch the Class Blog or stay in touch with the lab for further information on SmartBoard instructions. If we do not get the new SmartBoard by Tuesday we will have to use the smaller one.

Revised Instruction Manual

Several errors have been corrected throughout the Instruction Manual version 1.2. Most are minor numbering issues that have been corrected, but the Blog assignment for Sunday 6/20 has been changed. See the many posts I have added to the blog today.

Comments4Kids Starts

Comments4Kids starts Wednesday midnight. You will find your assignment in Google Docs. Before you begin commenting on the kid's blog, find out what you can about the class, the teacher, the grade, the school, the country and the assignment or task. PROOFREAD your comment. Mrs. Yollis rejected two EDM310 student's comments because they did not meet her requirements for spelling and grammar for the 3rd grade. Read my post Some of You Won't Make It Through the 3rd Grade. PROOFREAD. Don't embarrass yourself, EDM310 or me! Please!

In your comment identify yourself as a student in EDM310 and leave a link to either your blog, the class blog or both.

This is one of the most important and interesting assignments in EDM310. Enjoy. And learn what is happening in classrooms throughout the world. You will primarily visit schools in Australia and New Zealand where it is winter now.

Assignment Changes

Blog Assignment #5 (Facebook and Privacy) due Sunday 6/20 has been made an optional assignment. Instead watch The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies. After watching them, discuss ideas in your post that you can think of for videos that you would like to create, or participate in creating.

Links to iTunes U Reported not Working

Google and Apple are always changing. Here is the latest link to iTunesU information on the Apple web site. But this link may not work tomorrow. Who knows. If you find yourself faced with a link that does not work, search for it. For example a search either the Apple site or Google for iTunesU returns this page. So don't be stumped. Search!

Adding Audio to Your Presentation

You have four options for adding audio to (or with) your presentation. You can read all about these options in Adding Audio to Your Presentation.

TimeToast Has Bug (Sometimes) - Here is Correction

Sometimes the code produced by TimeToast to embed the Timeline has a bug in it. It does not close the embed tag. Since I cannot put a fragment of html code in this post, I will use a picture to show you what is missing. Add this closing tag after the code that TimeToast provides. But sometimes the code is correct. If it works in your blog, don't "fix it."

Originally posted April 17, 2010 without the "sometimes" conditions.

Send a Form So Others Can Complete It

1. Complete your form
2. Have it approved.
3. After all corrections (if any) have been approved, go to your form. It will be is spreadsheet form.
4. Go to the list of EDM310 Gmail addresses in Google Docs.
5. Click on the top name.
6. Scroll down to the last name being careful not to click the mouse.
7. Hold down the shift key and click on the last name. This will select ALL of the members of the class. Regardless of other instructions, send your form to everyone in the class.
8. Copy
9. Go back to your form Click on the Form Menu Item and Select Send form

10. Paste in the box next to to: and then click Send

Audacity, .mp3 Files, and Presentations

You are missing some instructions. I will distribute the instructions on what to do with your Audacity .mp3 files on Tuesday and will post them the same day. Just know where you saved your .mp3 file. Go ahead and embed your presentation in your blog.

A Correction

The Syllabus has an incorrect phone number for Jamie Lynn. I have now correct it on the Syllabus. Her correct phone number is 228-217-9029.

Questionnaires

The questionnaires are arriving in great number. We will review them and have all approvals out by Sunday night. If there are problems or corrections needed, we will attend to that in lab next Tuesday (or Monday or Wednesday). This may be a deadline change for correction time. I think I did not allow time for the approval process which is now Thur-Sun.

Some approvals have already been issued so yoiu can distribute those questionnaires now if you wish. If you are sending to the class you will find a list of gmail addresses in your Google Docs. Here's an easy way to select all of them at once:
1. Click on the gmail address in Row 2 (the first gmail address)
2. Scroll down WITHOUT CLICKING to the last gmail address. Hold down the shift key and while holding it down, click the last gmail address. That selects all of the gmail addresses. Copy.
3. Go to your spreadsheet version of your form. Share. Paste TO VIEW. You may want to add a message asking your classmates or recipients to fill out your form.
4. Then add all instructors gmail addresses to a new invite. Invite them TO EDIT. Send. That's it.

Comments4Classmates Begins at Midnight

Assignments have been made for the first Classmates4Classmates. You will find the document in your Google Docs. If you do not get the assignment in your Google Docs, please notify me immediately.

The first blog posts are due at midnight tonight. You can begin leaving your comments for your classmates then (or earlier if their posts have already been made).
Addendum
Don't know what Google Docs are or where to find them? Read the comments below and your questions will be answered.

12 1/2%

12 1/2% of the class has been completed!

Links to Student Blogs Now Posted

There is now a link to the Blogs for this semester. It is found in the smaller column to the right. Check to make sure the link to your blog works. If it does not, make sure you used the required URL that is constructed by combining (no spaces) your last name your first name edm310 Blogger adds the last part which is .blogspot.com

If you are still unable to get your link to work after checking these two items, send me an email so we can correct the problem..

Questionnaire Link Sent By Gmail

I have sent a link to the questionnaire to you through Gmail.

Please complete this questionnaire as soon as possible. It is done in Google Forms. You will have to do a survey in Google Forms. Observe what you can about how it is constructed.

Click the SUBMIT button ONLY ONCE. If it does not go through I will tell you tomorrow in class and you can try again then.

Picture Sent By Gmail

Instead of having to download your picture for your blog as I outlined in the instructions, I have sent it to your Gmail account. This means there will be no resizing or server problems. In addition we can check to see that your Gmail account is working and that you are reading your Gmail.

If you did not get a picture, or you got someone else's picture, let me know.