XO give one get one is back

One Laptop Per Child organization has opened up its "Give One Get One" option for its XO laptop. You can order through Amazon.com

The laptop was especially designed for children and I've tested its capabilities with a 6 year old who was able to use it easily and had great fun with it. I reviewed the one I bought in the first GOGO option in an earlier blog post and I still think it's an excellent tool (not toy) for kids.

When you give one/get one you pay $399 with $200 of that being a tax deductible donation.
What a great Xmas gift for a child you love and a child in a third world country who will love you for your donation.

Personal Learning Network on my Smartphone

I use Twitter (on my smartphone and on my laptop) as part of my PLN (Personal Learning Network) to stay abreast of what's happening with those I follow. Of course, not everything everyone posts is earth-shattering or important or even informative, but I have found it a good way to keep "in the know" about many new developments/announcements about EdTech info.

When you set up your Twitter account you have options as to who to follow and who can follow you (I know, at first it seems a little creepy...someone following you...) but you have complete control at all times. Yes, there are spammers who will try to follow you, but you can easily block them.

Twitter will FORCE you to say whatever you want to say in 140 characters or less. What a great way to learn to be concise.

If you are using Twitter (or aren't but perhaps considering it,) below are two very interesting links you may want to check out. BTW, Green Bay Schools is now using Twitter to update users about the latest district happenings! One of their "followers" is local TV station WFRV. What a great way to get the word out to the community!

If you're a teacher--just think how many of your students have cell phones and access to text messaging. Twitter could be a useful tool for you to remind them about an assignment due or a test coming up or ANYTHING else!

Check out: 50 Ideas for How to Use Twitter for Business (but some great tips for educators as well):

Having trouble keeping up with everyone you're following on Twitter? Try Twitter 100--the latest 100 posts from those you follow all in one page.

Consider Twitter--email is SO yesterday!

$50 Handhelds?? for elementary students--not a PC!

I've always used the word "handheld" to be synonymous with "handheld computer" so when I saw several articles and reviews touting a $50 "handheld" I had to do some more checking. Elementary schools in at least seven cities (500 in Chicago) are piloting this "handheld computer" to help teach reading and math. Although the device is just $50, the reading and math software that the machine is designed for (the only thing it comes loaded with is a management system) costs $20 for each program PER STUDENT. The cost just doubled.

The Chicago-based Innovations for Learning, (a non-profit organization) bills it as “the world’s most affordable solution” for giving a "computer" to every student. I would argue with that statement, but after reading more about it, the device may have its place in the classroom.

The “teachermate,” features a 2.5 inch color screen (get out your reading glasses!), 512 megabytes of internal memory, an SD slot for expandability, a built-in microphone and speaker, and a battery life of four hours. It weighs 1.2 pounds...seems heavy for such a small device. Along with the device (I just can't call it a computer!) you can buy a special case ($300 plus S &H) that allows charging and data-sync of 30 units at a time using one AC outlet and one USB cable.

The strength of the device is in its reading and math software programs also developed by Innovations for Learning, which says it created the software first but was looking for an affordable, scalable way to deliver the software to every student. According to Seth Weinberger, executive director of the nonprofit:

“Our organization has been stymied over the years by the same roadblock faced by all educational software makers—the inadequacy of personal computers in K-2 classrooms, “There are too few computers in the classroom, too many of them are broken, and too many of them are hand-me-downs. Public schools do not have the funds to provide sufficient computer resources to the young students who need them most.”

These problems led the group to develop an inexpensive solution that would be intuitive for young students to use. According to an eSchoolNews article,

"The teachermate is lightweight and portable, yet the images on its screen are highly visible. All you have to do is switch on the power button and it’s ready to go. A row of three colored buttons on the top, a circle of arrows to the right, and a big blue “enter” button on the left make up all the controls. The software’s learning games are simple and have fun noises and actions for kids to look at. There’s also a dog character named Max who dances and plays instruments for students when they complete a game successfully. The device comes with lightweight earphones and has places for a USB cable and an AC cord."

Steve Dembo, in his Teach42 blogpost about the device had a chance to speak with Seth and shared the following about it:

"I loved the idea of the Sync and Store case for its simplicity, but I didn’t realize how critical it was to use these devices effectively. The idea is, once per week the teacher goes into the classroom management software and marks off where each student is for reading and math, at a class, group, or individual level. Then, the device will load up lessons that are specific to that students’ level! The device won’t have the entire year stored on it. Heck, it won’t even have the entire unit. It will have just the lessons that the individual student would need for that week. VERY targeted. Of course, the flip side is that students’ answers/responses are recorded and uploaded to the teachers’ computer at next sync so they have a solid idea how the student is doing.

Another tidbit that almost blew me off my chair was how they’re using the microphone. The example he showed me was the Teachermate displaying an image along with a sentence below it. Then, using the built in speaker, you would hear a person read the phrase aloud. After hearing it read aloud (highlighting the words along the way), the student would repeat it back. The microphone would record the student reading it. Then, it would play the original voice reading it, the student reading it and the original once again. So the student had the ability to compare their own reading and inflection to the original! Not only that, but those recordings? They also get transfered over to the teachers computer so he or she can HEAR how the student is doing. Just think how powerful that would be to be able to break out during conferences and share with parents.

But wait, that’s not all! After reading a story (or watching an animated story), students can even choose characters from the story, stamp them on the screen, type out their own story via the onscreen keyboard (yucky, but kids are doing it anyway on their video game systems all the time), and then NARRATE IT using the microphone. The whole thing is saved and can be transfered over to the teachers computer. I know what you’re going to ask next, and no, there is no way to publish those just yet, but it’s on the list for 2.0."

So...where do I get my hands on one!? I tried Amazon.com and although it's listed, it also says "not yet available." It's on my wishlist, even though it's not really a PC...or even a handheld (as I've always defined it.) Maybe I need to change my definition???

Cheating on Tests-it's not about the technology

Just finished reading two blog posts about students cheating on tests--Tony Vincent's Learning In Hand and Will Richardson's Weblogg-ed. I do encourage you to check out both--they are filled with excellent, thoughtful commentary. Tony's includes several student-created YouTube videos on how it's being done. I noticed that most of them have little or nothing to do with handheld technologies, often an argument against implementing them in our schools.

As long as we continue to assess students' knowledge with traditional test methods and continue to hold grades up as "trophies" (which they aren't) and continue to use them to label our students' ability to achieve and understand (which they don't), students will continue to find new ways to cheat...and it's NOT about the technology!!

I'll ask the same question that Will Richardson did in his blog:

"When are we going to stop giving students tests they can cheat on?"

Please feel free to comment and let's get that conversation going here in NE Wisconsin!
(Will's post of that questions garnered 62 of them...worth reading and reflecting on.)

Using iPods in Education

I have clearly been remiss in letting you know that my handheld "guru," Tony Vincent, has a great series of podcasts available either on his website (March 25th post for Episode 11) or through iTunes (free for Mac or PC) called "Learning in Hand: iPods." (Search on "Tony Vincent" in iTunes-you'll find it faster.) There are 11 episodes now available including:

1. Hard Disk Mode
2. Downloading Videos
3. Main Menu
4. iPod Shuffle Tips
5. Troubleshooting
6. Notes
7. iQuiz
8. Manage Manually
9. Photos (pt. 1)
10. Photos (pt. 2)
11. Artwork & Lyrics

Also, don't forget about Tony's earlier series of podcasts called "Soft Reset" which gives great tips and tricks for Palm and Windows based handheld computers.

Finally, remember that I am ready, willing and able to come to your school to offer training on educational use of handheld "gadgets" including iPods and handhelds. Just contact the CESA 7 ETS department director, Chris Rogers (crogers@cesa7.k12.wi.us) for more info.

Twitter to learn

If you haven't already heard of Twitter and you have a cell phone, you might want to check out its potential for learning. A post in Techlearning gives you an idea as to how this tool, which basically encourages you to text the answer to "What are you doing?" in 140 characters or less, can be used as a staff development tool. The power of social-networking allows you to stay in touch with some real movers and shakers in technology, including such folk as Wil Richardson, David Jakes, David Warlick, Kim Cofino and many more. Or, you can follow your favorite political candidate...both Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton Twitter. (Well, actually, I think it's their staff that does...) Check out my Twitter page!

f u cn read dis alrdy thn u may nt nd 2 read dis post

Textspeak...is it changing our language or perhaps impacting how well our students write? According to this ReviewJournal.com article "cell phone text messaging is spawning debate on the difference between 'ryt' and wrong.' ...this odd but useful assemblage of symbols used routinely by thumb-typing people -- most of them youngish -- for quick communication. As an adjunct language, textspeak is practical, concise and, often, really creative."

"There's no consensus in the academic community regarding textspeak. Some teachers say text messaging is a form of writing, and anything that prompts students to write is good. Others argue that textspeak isn't the sort of writing that will endear students to either teachers or future employers They do agree that although not widespread, textspeak increasingly seems to be making its way into schoolwork."

The best ways for teachers to explain to students why it's not acceptable in the classroom: 1. The age-old "your write differently for different audiences" and 2. Employers are increasingly demanding excellent verbal and written skills.

Ian Jukes' latest post to his "Committed Sardine" blog included some of the key points from the article as well as a great resource to help you translate textspeak to English...or vice-versa.

Lingo2Word can help. Go to the site and type in a message and it will be deciphered into relatively standard English. Lingo2Word translates works the other way, too.

Here are two examples of classic writing as they might look if sent as text messages:

4 scor n 7 yrs ago r dads brawt 4th on dis cn10nt a nu n8tN, conceivd n Liberty, n dedic8d 2 d proposal dat ll men r cr8d eql. That’s Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

twinkl twinkl lil * ^ abov d wrld so fr
That's the nursery rhyme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Will textspeak ever become acceptable in the classroom--I doubt it, but... im uzn it wen i txt on my smrtfon coz d butns r jst 2 sml 2 typ ot d hol wrd...it maks my thums sor!

Translated: I am using it when I text on my smartphone because the buttons are just too small to type out the whole word...it makes my thumbs sore!

Great tips for the best podcasts

If you're one of the tech savvy teachers who are exciting your students by encouraging them to create their own podcasts (a terrific way to give them a "voice") then I want to call your attention to Tony Vincent's latest Learning In Hand blog post titled Advice for Better Podcasts.

Tony responds to a recent a article written by Matt Villano, Building a Better Podcast found in January 2008's T.H.E. Journal. You will find some great tips from Tony and get an overview of what Matt wrote.

If you are a "newbie" to podcasting, then be sure to check out Tony's very complete Podcasting in Education web page. Lots of excellent resources to help you get started.
You could also consider signing up for an upcoming CESA 7 ETS (Educational Technology Services) workshop coming up in fall of 08. Wisconsin podcasting expert Naomi Harm from CESA 4 will lead you and yours truly will be there to assist you in creating your first podcast!
For more info on this workshop, you can contact Chris Rogers, ETS director with info found on the ETS home page.

You can also check a previous post in this blog for some additional resources and info.

So...start podcasting! You'll have great fun and so will your students. (They'll think you're the coolest teacher of all and they'll learn some fantastic lifelong skills in the process.)

PBS programs added to iTunes U

Feb 4, 2008
Teachers, students, and lifelong learners now have a new source for free, educational multimedia, as PBS and local PBS stations KQED (San Francisco), WETA (Washington, DC), WGBH (Boston), and WNET (New York) are offering high-quality video clips and other educational resources on iTunes U, a dedicated area of the iTunes Store showcasing educational content.

Available in the Beyond Campus section of iTunes U, the initial online offerings from these local PBS stations include a wealth of educational video clips, lectures, interviews, teacher’s guides, and a variety of other materials.

“iTunes U presents a tremendous opportunity for WGBH to expand the reach of our educational TV, radio and Web content to a global audience,” said Jon Abbott, president, WGBH. “We look forward to making even more of our programming available in the future by regularly adding new video clips and lectures to our presence on iTunes U.”

“We’ve already discovered how offering extensive free video, audio and lesson plans has empowered teachers and students to develop the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century and to bring skills which can be applied to their own communities,” added added Tim Olson, KQED’s Interactive executive director. “iTunes U is a natural environment for public broadcasting companies in this effort.”

For more info, check out the full article at PBS.org

iTunes
iTunes is free software for Windows and Macintosh. iTunes has a built in podcast directory that is quite comprehensive. After launching iTunes, click on iTunes Store. Then choose iTunes U. While there, be sure to check out iTunes built in podcast directory.

XO laptop--plenty of potential

Is the handheld on its way out? I think not, although the XO laptop (orginally known as the $100 laptop) is certainly a tool worth considering as another option, especially for the very young. I ordered my XO laptop during the recent "Buy1 Give1" promotion and received it the day before Christmas. (The promotion ended on Dec. 31st, 2007, but I think it will be back once initial orders are fulfilled.) The cost was $398 for me to get one XO and donate one. In return for the donation, I can take a $200 tax credit. I've finally had time to check most of it out and I think it has some very good possibilities for students in kindergarten to about 4th grade.

Although I knew that the laptop would be small, I was a bit surprised by how small it really is--just 9" x 9." Here's a comparison photo you can check out. Not a handheld--it definitely won't fit in my pocket or purse, but with its sturdy handle and light weight (about 3#), it's very easy to carry around. The screen size (7 1/2") was comfortable for me for viewing (I'm very used to the small screens of Palms), but the keyboard is definitely designed for little hands--it was impossible for me to type on it normally. Although its size was a problem for me, I liked the fact that it's completely sealed and it would be almost impossible to damage it by spilling something on it. It's also not possible for individual keys to be removed--a real plus for kid use. The laptop has a 500-megahertz processor and 256 megabytes of DRAM (dynamic random access memory) with 1 gig of flash memory.

I have been able to connect to several open wireless networks and browse the Internet easily. As part of the laptop giving I also received a one year complimentary subscription to T-Mobile "hot spots" (there's only one in Green Bay at the Starbucks, but there are a fair number of them throughout WI and beyond.) I was not able to get it to connect it to my home wireless (DSL) modem and also couldn't connect at an area school district. I can "see" the wireless access points on my "neighborhood" screen, but haven't yet figured out how/where to get past the security issues. I need to read more in the wiki about that.

I've checked out most of the "activities" (they are not called applications) that come pre-loaded on the XO, including a word processor which works very much like any other--copy, paste, insert tables and images, and basic formatting. It has a limited number of fonts and no spell check options, but documents created can be saved as RTF, HTML or TXT and transferred to a flash drive for further editing if desired. (The XO comes with 3 USB ports built in.) I was able to connect a USB mouse with no problem (it didn't come with one) and was able to use the mouse pad without too much trouble, although it was sometimes a little jumpy in some of the activities. There is a built in stylus pad, but no activities (as yet) with which it can be used.

In addition, I was able to download a number of additional activities from the XO wiki software page. All were free and most are works in progress. Thank you to those of you who are taking time to develop them! Developers are asking for feedback from anyone who tries them out.

I gave the XO to my 6 year old grand-nephew and with a few basic instructions he was able to use a couple of activities pretty much on his own. He had fun with Paint (mostly scribbling, though) and did quite well with the Maze activity (one that I downloaded.) Each maze gets progressively harder and you can time yourself on how long it takes to complete it. He also enjoyed Story Builder created by MaMaMedia--it provides several backgrounds with related characters that can be placed on them by dragging and dropping them. Each character had its own movements and noises. The idea is to create the scene and then write a story. He doesn't have much patience or typing skills, so I helped him out with that part. Cartoon Builder, a basic "cell-animation" activity with sound effects and a variety of characters and backgrounds also piqued his curiosity and imagination. The MaMaMedia folks included a few lesson plans in each activity. He also explored TamTamjam, a music creation program which has great potential for a budding Beethoven. There's a considerable library of sounds and with the built in microphone, kids can add their own as well.

The laptop's battery lasted a solid 3 hours of constant use (I tried most every activity during that time) before it had to be recharged. It comes with a built-in camera which can take still photos (not bad quality at all) or video--pretty much unusable in my opinion.

There are three types of activities distributed with the base system: tools for exploring, expressing, and collaborating. The XO software components wiki lists all the available software--pretty extensive actually, as well as that other software still under development. I expect that much more will be added as the community grows. I was impressed with what's already available.

A colleague of mine has one on order as well, and when she gets hers, we'll test some of the collaboration activities.

I do think that the laptop is worth considering for use in our elementary schools as it continues to be developed. Birmingham City Schools has signed a purchase order for 15,000 of the laptops for use by every student in K-8 in the district. I believe tech savvy parents will be purchasing them for their kids once they see the XO's potential. I would advise schools to be prepared for this eventuality by carefully looking at their policies for allowing student owned "gadgets" (including other handhelds and inexpensive computing devices) in their buildings. These are powerful tools with incredible potential for enhancing learning. I know that my grand-nephews will be enjoying mine whenever they come to visit.

I know absolutely nothing about OS's, so I can't comment on the XO's--you'll have to look to others to tell you more...check out educational tech Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog posts: OLPC-Follow-Up and another OLPC Follow-Up Posting. He writes (among much else):

This is a VERY different operating system. Nothing is in the same place you'd find it in a Linux, Windows or Mac OS. The learning curve may be longer for adults with computer experience than for kids with no tech experience at all.

Finally, Tony Vincent, handheld guru par excellence, has also blogged about the XO and other small, cheap laptops coming onto the market.

One to One Computing continues to get more affordable!