MassCUE Conference ideas

After going to the MassCUE conference, I came away with a bunch of things to think about relating to computers and education. Specifically there are lots of different ways for students to collaborate and lots of tools that can facilitate that process.

First go here: http://prezi.com/obqzirjhtf-q/ and play the presentation. It's very cool (skip past the video if you wish).

Second, some sites that looked interesting that people may want to check out are posted below:

http://www.gapminder.org/ - 4-Dimentional graphs (2-D graphs with the addition of color, and time)
http://prezi.com/ - non-linear online presentations, a very cool replacement for powerpoint, but it may cost.
http://www.edmodo.com/ - a sort of self-contained, password protected version of facebook for your classroom
http://www.polleverywhere.com/ - a cell phone replacement for the automatic class polling systems
http://www.wikispaces.com/ - your own classbased wiki

Eric

Lecture Notes / Study Guide

Here is a relatively simple process to give your students the ability to review there notes with the benefit of the lecture, or overview of the lecture.

In this example I just broke my lecture down to one example, and gave the students a brief overview of the process at hand.

1. Digital Camera
2. Digital Voice Recorder
Full disclosure I did have to convert the audio file to mp3.
[ command line: ffmpeg -i input.wma -ab 32 output.mp3 ]

3. Upload materials to wiki:
Inequality Lesson Overview

Skills (l33t and otherwise)

A number of months back Jen posted a list of her tech-related skills. I don't know if others are interested in such a list, but I can make a stab at mine (keep in mind that there are a bunch of things on Jen's list, like html code and unix, that I used to know, but haven't used in a decade or so, so I've basically forgotten it all and I'm not listing it here).

Equipment:
The 145 lab
The datastudio interface boxes (science)
general projector stuff

Software:
MS Word
Excel (basics)
PowerPoint (basics)
PowerTeacher
Graphical Analysis
Virtual Physics
Interactive Physics
Earth Centered Universe
Starry Night Pro
DataStudio
Mimio (basic)

Platforms
Windows (basic)


Programming/Markup languages
I've done stuff with Basic, C and Pascal, but not in a long time

Web things
Searching. (how to use Google image search, e.g.)
Web 2.0: Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Google: Earth, Maps, igoogle
Webassign
PBS.org

Project types
Webquest
Powerpoints
Virtual labs
Computer based data collection

Eric Howard

Get others to grade for you

For those of you, especially in the science and math departments, who are interested, Webassign provides an online homework service that some physics and chemistry teachers in the high school are presently using.

Teachers can create classes for free, while students must pay a fee for their account. Once you set up a class, you link a textbook to your class and can then assign homework problems from your textbook. The site randomizes numbers in the problems so that each student has to give a different answer, even though they are assigned the same problem. The site allows for a wide range of options in the number of submissions allowed, the numerical accuracy required etc. Some of the textbooks allow you to assign the example problems as interactive exercises as well.

There are a large number of textbooks for chemistry, mathematics and physics, with smaller numbers available for accounting, astronomy, biology, engineering, social studies, and statistics.

I've been using the site for a few years now, so if you are interested, feel free to stop by and ask.

Eric

Mimio tools, lessons, and community

Follow this link to visit and check out some mimio lessons.

home

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LHS Moodle

I set up an installation of the popular Course Management Software moodle on noleton. The LHS installation lives at: noleton/moodle



I have installed moodle before for others to use, but have no teaching experience with it. If you are familiar with it, or would like to try it here it is.

Noleton - WordpressMU - Get your own blog today!

An installation of WordpressMU has been installed on the Noleton server.

Who cares?

Well now you can have your own blog for your course, club, cause, or whatever you can think of. Visit the blogger page and request a blog: noleton/blogger



Geoff

Creating a Wordpress Blog Post

Here is a screencast of how to make a blog post using the wordpress software:



Have fun.

Wiki Syntax Math and LaTeX

Typesetting mathematics in a wiki.





the JS Wiki uses the MediaWiki engine. Not all wikis will support the <math> tags, but you can use the JS Wiki, or I can set you up with a wiki that supports the math tags.

Wiki Syntax: Subsections and Images

This tutorial tells you how to create subsections and add images to your wiki.



here is the link to mediawiki: http://mediawiki.org , referenced in the screencast.

Google Wave

Here is some really cool stuff...



Geoff

Google Docs

Here is a quick idea on how to use google docs in your curriculum (get rid of printers, printers bad boo).

http://noleton/wiki/index.php/Google_docs


have fun, educate, communicate,
Geoff

Wiki Syntax

Here are some examples of wiki syntax:

LHS Wiki How To

How to use the LHS Wiki:


You can make it full screen by clicking in the bottom right of the video to see the typing and what not.

Reading Mathematics

Lori got me "making" kids read. I am checking out ~20 books from the LHS Library per month that I put on my Personal List on the LHS Lib page: http://library.longmeadow.k12.ma.us/common/welcome.jsp?site=101 Then if on a given day I have 10 or 15min left at the end of the block each student gets their book from the 226 "Mini" Lib, and reads and takes notes. The students then blog about their reading on the LHS Wiki, and add vocab words with definitions at the end of their blog.

The assignment was created thanks to and in conjunction with Lori Robbins and Mary Ellen Barker.

here is the assignment page:
http://172.20.97.111/wiki/index.php/Read%2C_Explore%2C_Analyse

Geoff

Wolfram Alpha

Hello:

Want to compare China to the US? Just type china vs. usa into wolfram alpa ; http://www.wolframalpha.com/

You get a full report on area, population, population density and much more!


Want to know the nutritional specs on an apple? You guessed it wolfram alpha.
Want a quick graph or x² or a translation thereof; wolframalpha is your boy.

I see possibilities for all content areas. Nutritional facts, comparisons, mathematical graphs and solutions, GDP's this is a cool site!

jing and screencast.com

This screencast was made with the jing software.

A short tutorial on writing "Hello World" in C++ using vim and g++.

helloWorldCast

iTunesU

this link brought to you by Mrs. Godin. A short movie about the kinds of educational podcasts offered through the iTunes software.

http://www.apple.com/education/guidedtours/itunesu.html?cid=ITS-ITUMAIN080829-CN4X9

http://ocw.mit.edu content can also be accessed through iTunesU


No mention of whether or not you can access the same content through other software aggegators??

Windoze 7 on Mac

Windoze on Macintosh Intel:




above is a picture of installation, and running windows seven.




hehee
~SP

Video and the Classroom

This is an example of using video to enhance your classroom. This a brief lecture I recorded on limits and embedded into my wiki math text:

http://jasperstreet.homeip.net/wiki/index.php/Math



Students can use this to review their notes and or fill in gaps, and extend their learning. Just an idea.

MIT Open Course Ware

Maybe I am behind the times here as MIT released this in 1999, but it is awesome.

One of the worlds greatest universities releasing their educational content for anyone in the world to view, study, and better themselves free of charge.

the site is: http://ocw.mit.edu

they have a lot of content; video lectures, problem sets, lecture notes, and more. Topics from many departments; Mathematics, History and many more.

I can not speak for other content areas, but obviously MIT is known for mathematics and technical education throughout the world. I have been studying the Differential Equations Course 18.03 and there are many other courses I intend to take a look at.

I have tackled the first of 32 lectures of the 18.03 and am working on the first problem set that corresponds to the lecture. In other words do more than watch, do the homework and actually learn stuff. I look forward to completing this course and "taking" more courses.

MIT is clear about the mission; this is NOT an MIT education, but it will give you insight to their educational process, the world, and make you a better person. Just like reading a book will. You get bragging rights and understanding if you take it seriously.

I will probably also study some Engineering and Linear Algebra courses. I think you should take some too.

videos, wikis, and fun

I am excited to tell you I got the video working in the wiki.



Completing the Square Video

I will understand if you do not watch the video since it is about boring math, but just to see it in the wiki is exciting. I can now incorporate video lessons into the maths text I am writing :).

I had to use a newer digital camera to hook up to the computer I was able to get the video from your camera to the DVD and then onto the computer, but not in a format that allowed me to edit it. With my camera I could get it to the computer and edit it, but then I still had to use google video to host the video and then embed it into the wiki.

Anywho now that I have a process I can replicate it with other videos.

This means that if any teachers would like to incorporate video in blogs, wikis, or podcasts I can probably be of some use.

I is happy.
Geoff
jasperstreet

My l33t skillz, let me show you them!

I was thinking: maybe something we could do to help people take advantage of our new tech integration peeps is to give everyone some idea of just what we can help with.  Our colleagues may not be sure what it is we know how to do (that they don't), what kinds of questions we're able to answer, etc.  So I thought it might be a good idea if we had some listing of skills/areas of knowledge to get people thinking about what they've always wanted to know about technology, but didn't know who to ask.

(Or maybe y'all have been swamped with questions, and I'm the only one who's just been answering the same old "Jen, can you make the DVD player/projector/computer work" kind!)

I'll start.  Some things off the top of my head that I can use/answer questions about/show someone how to use (better):

Equipment:

The laptop projector carts

The 140 lab

iPods

Software

MS Word

PowerPoint

PowerTeacher

iTunes

iMovie (Mac)

iPhoto (Mac)

Photoshop

Outlook

Adobe Pagemaker, which is probably not terribly useful anymore

Platforms

Mac OS 

Unix 

[I hate Windows, but I could answer basic stuff]

Programming/Markup languages

HTML

Javascript (it's been a long time, though)

Java (ditto)

uh... BASIC? *g*

Web things

Searching.  (how to use Google image search, e.g.)

Web 2.0: Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia (it's not just evil or full of misinformation, honestly), blogs/LJ/fun RSS feeds (have the English teachers seen Samuel Pepys' blog?  Or Geoffrey Chaucer's?  Languagelog?), del.icio.us (which I absolutely love as a way to save links for other people!)...  but not Twitter.  I don't tweet.

Lots of world language/Latin specific things (how to use online dictionaries effectively!  Please let's teach people how to use online dictionaries *effectively*...).

Urban Dictionary!  For when you just aren't down with the kids' slang anymore.

Fun teacher websites that will do things like create word searches for you!

And many more, I'm sure.

Project types

Webquest

video editing (i.e. clips from digital source/ripped from DVD + music + titles + effects, etc.)/playing videos

Powerpoints

Basic webpage (I never learned CSS, fwiw)

Creating a podcast.

Create your own LOLcat!

Completely useless/obsolete things!

Gopher

Usenet

Telnet/ssh!  Lynx!  Emacs!  Pine! (I use these all the time, but I do know that most people, uh, don't, anymore.)

DOS and...

the Apple IIe!

Wikis

Hello,
One thing I have been using is Wiki sites. The students can easily collaborate, edit, and reedit content that they or their peers have posted.

There is an LHS Wiki that is only available inside of LHS.
Check out the Cards page.

my personal wiki lives at JS Wiki.
Check the Math page.

You can get free wiki of your own at pbwiki.com or use one of the above wikis. The choice is mostly about access. Do you need your students to have access at home? Are you going to use the wiki with students or just among teachers for collaboration? The answers to these questions will help you decide on the way you set up your wiki.

You can also post images, files, movies on your wiki :>).

This video explains simply a wiki in plain english (~5min).

Hey Geoff

Just me checking in. We'll talk later about php and getting that quiz maker to work on my site.

cugnology; what are you?

Cugnology is the cuddly friend of technology. We are a group of educators that want to help you use technology in your lessons. We want you to come to us in the planning stages of your lessons, and we can help make them streamlined, select the proper software and hardware tools, to make you an independent technology user; particularly bringing technological tools into the hands, minds, and lives of your students.

We will use this blog to keep you up to date with what we are using, studying, and playing around with.