Box Readers

A few weeks ago, I went Christmas shopping. A certain member of my family has been grumbling for years that she doesn’t have a navigation system for her car. The technology has been getting better, and prices have been coming down, so this seemed like a good year to get her one. My initial thought was to get her a bluetooth GPS receiver and software … Continue reading Box Readers

Reflections on 2007

It’s the time of year when we pause to reflect on the roads we’ve traveled, the chasms we’ve crossed, and the journey still ahead. Last week’s EdTechYearly got me thinking about the progress we’ve made this year. And yet, there are still those burning questions of whether we’re having much effect outside the world of educational technology. If you haven’t yet, you can share your … Continue reading Reflections on 2007

Gingerbread Tales

This morning, Mrs. Hricik’s first graders presented their gingerbread stories. After their presentation for local senior citizens got snowed out earlier this week, they hastily adjusted schedules and invited parents in today. With the help of Jeff Lebow, EdTechTalk, and Ustream, we were able to stream audio and video of the presentations to family members who couldn’t come in to school. We had a maximum … Continue reading Gingerbread Tales

Yesterday's Tomorrow

Here are two old videos that predict the future. Paul Otlet (1868-1944) was the founding father of information science. His major work included the development of new ways to collect, organize, and classify information. He’s the guy who came up with the standard 3×5 catalog cards that we used to use in libraries before online catalogs were available. This video describes his Traité de documentation, … Continue reading Yesterday's Tomorrow

Students 2.0

It’s a different kind of social network. These students aren’t on Facebook talking about music and relationships and fashion and popular culture. While they’re probably interested in these things, their new network, Students 2.0, has a higher purpose. They want to be taken seriously by adults. They have opinions on technology and learning in the 21st century. As the silent majority, they offer a perspective … Continue reading Students 2.0

Robots and Music

Two stories about the use of robotics in music caught my eye this week. On Thursday, Toyota demonstrated a robot that can play the violin. From a technological standpoint, that’s pretty amazing. I can barely make noise with the thing, and my children have spent years learning to play what are still very elementary pieces. This robot plays with the technical proficiency of a late … Continue reading Robots and Music

How Far Have We Come?

It was my first year teaching computer applications in a new district. After half a year of complaining, I received a new computer for my office. It had everything I could possibly need. With it, I could send and receive email and access the World Wide Web. I could create and edit word processing, spreadsheet, database, and presentation documents. I could print to network printers. … Continue reading How Far Have We Come?