This week, I’m finishing up the first online class I’ve taken in a couple years. In the two years since my last online classes, I have become heavily involved in the concept of a professional learning network. For me, learning has become much less focused on specific curriculum and objectives, and more centered on my interests, needs, and goals. I find I’m using blogs, Skype, … Continue reading Thoughts on Online Learning

There’s so much to see and do in Ohio, even a lifetime resident like me discovers new things all the time. This year, in celebration of Ohio Day, I have a list of 10 things to do in Ohio that I haven’t done yet. Most of these are off the beaten path. Some are WAY off the beaten path. All are inexpensive (if not free), … Continue reading Ohio Adventures

I have three interesting requests from teachers for projects they want to do. These are innovative and appropriate uses of technology. Here’s what they want (note that these are separate requests): One teacher wants to create student portfolios online. Ideally, student writing samples and other examples of exemplary work would be showcased, and teachers would be able to comment (publicly or privately) on them. Peer … Continue reading Puzzle Pieces

When coming back from a conference, everyone wants to know how it was. “It was okay. You didn’t miss much,” is my usual response. I never know what to say. Sometimes the teachers that go get really excited about things, and I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. This week’s eTech Ohio Educational Technology Conference was no different. There were lots of SMART … Continue reading Conference Highlights

Here is the presentation I presented today at the eTech Ohio State Technology Conference in Columbus, Ohio. These are the Delicious links, which include all of the products mentioned below. Edit: and here is the video: In case you missed it, I discussed the following: Teachers’ attitudes toward technology have improved over the last few years. They now increasingly embrace technology as a way to … Continue reading New Tricks for Old Dogs

As an undergrad, I was one of four computer science education majors on campus. The school of educaiton really didn’t have any idea what we should be learning, so they sent us over to the school of applied science to get minors in systems analysis. It was probably the closest thing the school had to a computer science program. Though I didn’t know it at … Continue reading Many to Many

To say it was exciting was a bit of an understatement. Sure, it happens every four years. And, truth be told, I rarely watch it. I think the last one I watched was in 1997. But this one was different. Yes, he’s the first African American president. Yes, that’s a very big deal, and I don’t want to diminish its implications. And yes, he has … Continue reading 21st Century Inauguration

With the new year upon us, I’ve dusted off the crystal ball. After about an hour of gazing mystically into it, I came up with… nothing. So much for my divination skills. Perhaps Peter Drucker put it best. “Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window.” Still, each … Continue reading The Year to Come

It’s the obligatory end-of-the-year blog post. How far have we come? What have we accomplished? Will we remember 2008? For me, December has never really been the end of the year. Sure, we’re changing the digits in the date, but I’ve always been more in tune with the academic calendar. By those standards, we’re almost halfway done. Not a bad time for reflection, but hardly … Continue reading The Year that Was

I don’t like the concept of technology plans. If technology is really integrated into everything we do, we shouldn’t need a separate plan for it. We don’t have curriculum plans and assessment plans and personnel plans in the same sense as we have technology plans. That’s not to say technology planning isn’t important. It’s certainly necessary to invest a little forethought into what we’re doing … Continue reading Technology Planning

For the last couple years, we’ve offered a technology class for teachers the first week after school is out in June. They come for for a week, spending the morning, afternoon, or both with us. We focus on interactive web tools and how they can be used in the classroom. The classes are meant as a smorgasbord of tech tools. Here’s a little RSS. Try … Continue reading Changing the Menu