James Gates : Weblog

[TIPS] A keynote to remember - WATCH THIS!

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:02:48 GMT

http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/08/tips-keynote-to-remember-watch-

Thanks to Craig Nansen for tweeting this today. http://www.dallasisd.org/keynote.htm

Could YOU stand up and deliver a powerful, motivating speech to over 20,000 teachers? I get nervous with just TWO thousand. I can’t imagine twenty thousand. (OK, ok.. So I’ve never spoken to two thousand people before. But if I DID I’d be nervous, OK?) :-)

The POINT is.... You MUST check out this keynote speaker who gets that crowd of 20,000 cheering and applauding and, at the end, jumping to their feet. His message is outstanding -”Do YOU Believe In Me?” Outstanding.

Why would a speaker ask if we believe in him? Well, he looks to be all of maybe 11 or 12 years old.

If you’ve got 5 minutes, stop right now and watch the whole thing. Do YOU believe in YOUR students?

[TIPS] Not low expectations, but unrealistic ones?

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:31:01 GMT

http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/08/tips-not-low-expectations-but.h

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121936528440062155.html (excerpt here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121927058709858197.html?mod=Books)

You may have to log in to see that. Not sure. But, according to the book by Charles Murray entitled, “Real Education”, ( http://www.amazon.com/Real-Education-Bringing-Americas-Schools/dp/0307405389/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219711842&sr=8-1) the problem with our schools may not be one of schools that expect too little and then are upset when they GET it, but rather schools that expect too MUCH. Unrealistic expectations.

Can we even SAY that? ;-)

“The problem with American education, according to Mr. Murray, is not what President Bush termed the "soft bigotry of low expectations" but rather the opposite: Far too many young people with inherent intellectual limitations are being pushed to advance academically when, Mr. Murray says, they are "just not smart enough" to improve much at all. It is "a triumph of hope over experience*," he says, to believe that school reform can make meaningful improvements in the academic performance of below-average students. (He might have noted, but doesn't, that such students are disproportionately black and Hispanic.)”

How many of us have argued that same point? An interesting read. Check it out.

* I always thought that quote was in reference to second marriages. :-)

[TIPS] A wonderful blog and video to see - 1st graders!

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 05:10:56 GMT

http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/08/tips-wonderful-blog-and-video-t

“We like our blogging buddies, we like them very much”

Stop right now and go to this post: http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blog_id=646416

Two things. First, you’ll smile the entire way through this video as these young first graders rap and dance in honor of their “blogging buddies.” It’s just too cute. (That’s how I look when I try to do that rap thang. :-) )

But second, check out where their rap buddies are from. What do you think those kids think of the world now? These kids are blogging and skyping with kids from around the world. Listen to the word to this little rap they’re having such fun with. Who can argue that this isn’t great stuff? Who can argue and say that blogs and skype have no place in school? These kids were writing and talking with kids from other countries, for crying out loud! Yet, those tools are blocked in most of the districts in my own IU area. In most districts across the state, I would guess.

WAKE UP, folks! These tools aren’t evil! They are making possible the most significant change to happen to education since the chalk!

Oh, and thanks to Dean Shareski who shared this tonight (Saturday night around midnight) on Twitter.

[TIPS] Two amazing videos to watch

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 05:10:56 GMT

http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/08/tips-two-amazing-videos-to-watc

The first one: http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/890

The second one: http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/895

Both of those videos show some AMAZING new video software that.. Well.. They will make it damn near impossible to be sure that you’re seeing what you think you’re seeing. In the first video, the woman is actually a computer generated woman. You won’t believe it. In the second one, watch as the computer adds tings to the images that aren’t there, and the video is still as smooth and perfectly believable as the original.

Project this out another 15 years. We won’t be able to believe ANYTHING we see. It used to be that you could only believe none of what a politician said, and only half of what you saw him/her do. Now you won’t be able to believe ANYTHING. We think political ads are nasty now, just wait until folks can manipulate videos like what you’ll see in those two videos. Wow...

Now, here’s the funny part. When I watched that second video I thought, “Oh he’s going to LOVE the other one I saw just a couple days ago. It was about this new video editing software from Microsoft...” And so I set out to find it. Then I remembered that I had starred it in my Google Reader, so I rushed over there and checked it out. THERE IT WAS! Oh... It was ANOTHER one of Alec’s posts from just a couple days before.

Do you read his blog? You should, you know. He finds some of the coolest stuff.

[TIPS] Google.org/egs

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:00:43 GMT

http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/08/tips-googleorgegs.html

http://www.google.org/egs/

I was pointed to this from the Google Earth blog post here: http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2008/08/googleorg_visualizes_us_geothermal.html. My opinion – if you’re not already using Google Earth to teach Geography or Social Studies, then you NEED to invest some time here. THERE’S WAY more to it than just looking up your home.

Maybe you’ve been talking about the global warming issue – both sides of the debate. Maybe you’ve been talking about how our need for oil drives our foreign policies. Maybe you’ve been talking about alternative energy sources, like wind, hydroelectric, and others. Then you NEED to check out that website (top) and the gearth blog post. In fact, I’ve said before, you NEED to subscribe to the gearth blog. It’s EXCELLENT!!!

There’s a KMZ (google earth) file that is referred to in this post, and you’re going to want to download it and check it out. It shows a map of the US colored in to show the amount of geothermal energy that is available in the different locations.

By the way, do YOU have your students creating and sharing kmz files as part of their assignments? If not, why not? Wouldn’t it make a GREAT assignment for the students to create a world map showing, say, conflicts of the world, or religions of the world, etc, and tie it in to the news, maybe news that they have found at iCue. If you’re studying the relationships of geography to exports and inports, what better way than to create a kmz gile that takes the reader on a virtual tour?

If your teachers don’t know how to use Google earth, then why don’t YOU take the bull by the horns and set up a series of workshops to show them how. There are lots of online tutorials to help, as well. And, if the site isn’t blocked at school (don’t get me started), show them the gearth blog, as well.

Tutorials (just a few)
http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/tutorials/index.html
http://www.gelessons.com/lessons/
http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/07/tips-google-earth-tutorial.html – my July post that points to a tutorial or two
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=google+earth&emb=0# - lots of videos on the google video site
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=google+earth&search_type=&aq=f – videos on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/user/mkbarth - LOTS of very good tutorials

[TIPS] National Center for EdTech Research

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:57:43 GMT

http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/08/tips-national-center-for-edtech

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2008/08/new_national_center_for_edtech.html

You know by now that the Learning.Now blog is one of my favorites, and today’s article is another example of just why I like it so much. In this article we learn that the Federal government is going to establish a National Center for EdTech Research. Read this post and follow the link to the Fact sheet ( http://www.fas.org/press/faq/nationalcenter.html) that tells more about the goals of the Center.

I wonder...

What if the study reports that blogging really IS an EXCELLENT way to improve student writing? THEN, will our schools stop blocking them? Or what if they say that wikis are the PERFECT tools for collaboration? THEN will schools stop blocking them? What if they say that sites like Delicious, Diigo, Flickr, and YouTube are all EXCELLENT resources that schools should be using? THEN can we use them? What if they say that Second Life is a great tool, too? Well, now I’ve gone too far even for my own argument, haven’t I? :-)

Still, I’m looking forward to reading the results of their work. I wonder how many teachers will be hired there.

Did You Know - updated

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:42:15 GMT

http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/08/did-you-know-updated.html

Tonight a tweet by karen Janowski (karenJan) pointed me to Karl Fisch’s blog post here: http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2008/08/did-you-know-music-industry-remix.html

THAT pointed me to this: http://release.theplatform.com/content.select?pid=x7aVOMrlfkkijQwcLllwk6WjB5JE0zrF or http://tinyurl.com/6s8l3k This is the Music Industry’s version of Karl’s Did You Know presentation.

Those who know this presentation will get a kick out of the new version. Those who haven’t seen it.. Well.. You’re probably not reading the blog post.

Can you imagine what a kick it must be for Karl who made this presentation to show to his faculty a couple years ago in 2006? ( http://tipline.blogspot.com/2007/03/tips-did-you-know-sequel.html, http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html) He released it with the purest of intentions, saying that if you wanted to use it, go ahead. BAM! WORLD FAMOUS in a matter of a few weeks. It has done more to start conversations than anything else we’ve seen. People didn’t read, “The World is Flat”, perhaps, but they DID see this presentation.

And now THIS version. Why? The STORY! The MESSAGE! Are schools listening? Probably not. This is in a blog – and it’s blocked at school.

Congratulation, Karl.

[TIPS] Now HERE is a life-long learner

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:58:30 GMT

http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/08/tips-now-here-is-life-long-lear

Thanks to Kevin White for sharing this with me via email.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK5zI7Y5s1I

This is the story of a 70 year old man who, at the age of 8, had to go to work in the fields and consequently never learned how to read or write. But, he promised his mother that he WOULD learn one day. So he went back to school – in first grade – and began his journey to learn to read and write.

Watch this video. It’ll warm your heart.

[TIPS] Interview with Dan Pink

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:58:30 GMT

http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/08/tips-interview-with-dan-pink.ht

How’s THIS for a coup: http://www.twentyfortech.com/?p=25 Our own Dave Solon (IU13) scores an interview with Dan Pink. Yes, THAT Dan Pink, author of, “A Whole New Mind.”

http://www.twentyfortech.com/?p=25

In this interview, Dan talks about his newest book, “The Adventures of Johnny Bunko.” It’s an unusual book, written in the form of Manga, a comic book style popular in Japan.

But the point is... Holy cow, Dave. Way to go!!!

Now go out and give that interview a listen.

[TIPS] Boy Drops out to play Guitar Hero???

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:38:39 GMT

http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/08/tips-boy-drops-out-to-play-guit

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/101746

Thanks to Dave S for sharing this one with me. It's... I don't even know HOW to describe it.

It's about a 16 yr old boy who is dropping out of school so he can focus his attention on playing.. er perhaps BEING... a Guitar Hero. Yes, he's going to become a professional gamer. After all, the TOP gamers can rake in as much as $80k/yr - sitting around playing games. The article says that most will only make around $25k, however.

Once again, MORE proof that we've got our priorities upside down in this country. This kid is going to stop his education at the age of 16, and will be able to pull in $25k/yr. No benefits, of course, but who needs them when he's just 16 and still covered by his parent's policy? On the other hand, I've been taking classes all my life (just last September I completed the Master's of Instructional Technology program), and I've got well over 30 years of experience, and I'M NOT MAKING AS MUCH AS A GAMER????? CAN YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING????