National Educational Computing Conference '06

The 2006 National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) is just around the corner. July 5-7 thousands of educators will meet in San Diego to attend sessions, visit vendors, and socialize.

I will be participating in a panel discussion during the Special Interest Group for Technology Coordinator's Membership Breakfast. The theme is The Role of Technology Leadership in a Changing Educational Landscape. Other panel members include David Warlick and Will Richardson. We'll be discussing blogging, podcasting, and wikis. The breakfast is from 7:30 am until 10:00 and costs $15 and will be located in SDCC 11A/B.

Also, I will be attending the Special Interest Group for Handheld Computing's (SIGHC) Annual Business Meeting in SDCC 7B. This is a great time to gather with others interested in handheld computing. The meeting is somewhat informal and will be Thursday, July 6 from 4:45 until 6:00. After the meeting, I propose that handheld (and/or podcasting) enthusiasts meet at Rock Bottom (half a mile from the convention center at 401 G Street) at 6:30 for dinner and socializing. Mike Curtis and I will be attending! If you plan to be there, please email me ASAP so we know how many to expect. With email, if there are any updates or changes, I can let you know.

I'll be blogging about what I learn at NECC. Like last year, most of my sharing will be done in the weeks after the conference. Expect lots of audio from NECC to be included in Soft Reset podcasts. Also like last year, I have orange stylus/pens to give away, so find me at NECC and ask for one.

If you plan to blog about the conference, please read David Warlick's advice about Blogging a Conference, including tagging your posts "necc06" so that people can find them easily through Technorati.

Tags: necc06 necc

Soft Reset Extra: Pod People

An extra Soft Reset show is online: Pod People. Educators from Valparaiso Community Schools in Valparaiso, Indiana learned about podcasting from Tony in a six hour workshop. They learned about finding, subscribing, and listening to podcasts. Then they worked in groups to create segments for this program, which feature some great educational podcasts and podcasting ideas. Audacity for Windows was used to record and mix the segments. Music is from ACIDplanet.

Show Notes:

• Math Grad Podcast: Website - iTunes
• Virtual Frailing Banjo Lessons: Website - RSS Feed
• Playing in the Band: Website - iTunes
• Radio WillowWeb #17: Regarding the Revolution: Website - iTunes
• Our Class Stories: Website - iTunes
• GigaPeas in a GigaPod: Website - iTunes
• Ask an Astronomer: Website - iTunes
• TechTipTuesday: Website - iTunes
• Please leave a voicemail for us to play on the show! Call 206-333-1942.

Enjoy the show! Click an icon below to listen or subscribe.

Videos to Help with Podcasting

More videos about podcasting have appeared on the web and I think many educators will be interested in viewing them:

Learn Out Loud
If you are new to podcasting, check out Learn Out Loud's online video Podcasts and iTunes. The five-minute video will demonstrate accessing the iTunes podcast directory, subscribing to a podcast, and uploading a podcast to an iPod.

Room 208
Third graders in Bob Sprankle's Room 208 are very experienced podcasters. They have produced a video that shows you how they make their weekly podcast. You'll see the complete process, from the Monday planning meeting to Mr. Sprankle's Friday night editing session. You'll notice that Room 208 has very nice podcasting gear. You'll also notice that Bob incorporates great techniques for this video, including using appropriate background music, quick camera cuts, and varied camera angles.

Free CD
Remember those great videos from Apple I blogged about in March? Now Apple is offering to send you a free CD containing those videos for free. I have not yet received my CD, so I don't know if they are of higher quality than what you download online. The three videos in the series are Part I: Introduction to Podcasting, Part II: Meeting Standards with Podcasting, and Part III: An Administrator's View on Podcasting. Sign up to get the CD here.

Audacity Tutorials
Many Windows users rely on the free software Audacity to produce their recordings. Seeitdoit.tv has video tutorials for every aspect of podcasting, including audio setup, editing, sound quality, RSS, publishing, and promoting. The set of videos is $15. However, many of the complete videos can be found on Google Video for free.

Ubiquitous Computing DVD

Kent State's Research Center for Educational Technology has released the DVD-ROM Ubiquitous Computing: How Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone Technology Is Changing Education. The DVD is packed with nearly one gigabyte of data about ubiquitous technology.

So, what is ubiquitous computing? Ubiquitous means "ever present" or "everywhere." RCET's definition of ubiquitous learning environments is "learning environments in which all students have access to variety of digital devices and services, including devices connected to the Internet and mobile computing devices whenever and wherever they need them." And, in case you were wondering, the term ubiquitous computing was coined in 1988. I learned from the DVD that some say the first wave of computing was many people per computer. The second wave was one person per computer. The third wave is many computers per person. Ubiquitous computing addresses this third wave.

RCET's DVD-ROM has professionally narrated introductions and 36 video clips to help you understand where ubiquitous technology came from, what we know about it, and what it means for teaching and learning. The DVD has many concrete, real-world examples of ubiquitous computing. At first it might seem like a fancy word and a concept that is difficult to understand. After experiencing the DVD, you'll leave with a good sense of what it's all about.

Mark van 't Hooft, who joined us for Soft Reset #10, worked really hard on this DVD. He describes this new resource in the discussion forum. In fact, Mark has been researching ubiquitous technology in learning for years. He's now started a blog of this own, Ubiquitous Thoughts. Some of his recent posts include Ubiquitous Technology for a Global World, Cell Phones in Schools?, and Changing Teaching and Learning in Ubiquitous Computing Environments.

Although I'm certainly a fan of handheld computing, I think the idea of ubiquitous computing more accurately captures my thinking about how students are learning and how they will learn in the future. It's interesting to note that Google has 621,000 English results for handheld computing and 2,290,000 for ubiquitous computing. What does that tell you? Maybe you need to learn more by ordering the RCET's DVD-ROM! It works with Mac or Windows computers and RCET will gladly send you one free of charge.

May Forum Digest

May has come and gone, but the posts from learninginhand's Discussion Forums are still there for your reading enjoyment. Here's your monthly digest of some of what's been going on...

• Tony informs everyone that registration for the 4th Annual SuccessLink Handheld Conference in Missouri and for the Mid-Atlantic Handhelds Conference in Maryland has been extended.
• Dale shares an excellent tip for using PDA Reach and PowerPoint at the same time for presentations involving a handheld.
• Kim raves about a workshop she attended.
• Tony notes that for the first time in years, it seems Palm is not releasing new handhelds in spring. They did, however, release the Treo 700p last month.
• Wendy asks about your favorite podcasting forum.
• Dale tells us about an idea he has for a podcast segment involving tongue twisters.
• Brent continues a conversation about Mac versus Windows when it comes to podcasting.
• Rolly contributes his experience with an iRiver MP3 recorder for podcasting.
• Anna shares information about the new Where in the World podcast. She suggests that those who have or will participate in Our City Podcast also make short podcasts for Where in the World.
• Remember, the learninginhand forums have their own RSS feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/forums.

Each month a forum contributor is randomly selected to receive a pair of learninginhand stylus-pens. May's winner is Anna from Texas Congratulations and thanks to everyone who contributed to the forums last month!

Soft Reset #13: eReading

Soft Reset #13 is now online! Listen to find out where in the world is Mike Curtis. Then eBook enthusiast Midge Frazel joins Tony to talk about electronic reading in her very first podcast.

Show Notes:

• Tony's Tip: Files that end with .prc are Palm Resource Files that are executable programs. Files with the .pdb extension are Palm Database files. Every PDB file requires some sort of program that can actually open the file on a Palm handheld. For instance, eBooks end with .pdb when downloaded to a desktop computer. You can load it onto your handheld, but to display that eBook, you'll need a program (PRC) that can read that certain format of eBook (formats include the likes of eReader, iSilo, and Plucker).
• Mike's Tip: There are two essential downloads for Microsoft Reader for Windows Mobile: Microsoft Reader Dictionaries & Microsoft Word Plug-In.
• Midge Frazel's book about Palm handhelds, Tips and Tricks for Using Handhelds in the Classroom.
• Midge Frazel's PalmSource Expert Guide on eReading.
• Palm's eBook Primer.
• Midge mentions eReader (Palm & Windows Mobile), Adobe Reader (Palm & Windows Mobile), and Microsoft Reader for Windows Mobile.
• Digital Libraries: University of Virginia's eBook Library, ManyBooks.net, and eReader.
• Students can export notes from eReader to Memos. Then they can be beamed, synced, and/or printed.
• eBook Studio (Mac or Windows) is $30 software for making your own eBooks for eReader. Make eBooks that are specific to students' interests and needs.
• eReader's Educational Classics Collection.
• Purchase inexpensive SD cards for storage of eBooks.
• eReader.com gives away one free eBook a day each December. Midge's handheld beeps at her to remind her to check daily for free eBooks during that month.
• Tony's book, Handhelds for Teachers and Administrators, is required reading for Midge's summer graduate class on emerging technologies in education.
• Visit Soft Reset's Discussion Forum to discuss the show!
• Leave a voicemail for us to play on the show! 206-333-1942
• Email Tony and Mike at softresetpodcast@gmail.com.

Enjoy the show! Click an icon below to listen or subscribe.

Take a survey with NinePoll

How'd you like to give an instant survey in your classroom? There's new Palm software that can do just that: NinePoll from Ninelocks.com. NinePoll allows for a Palm user to create a poll, collect votes, and view the results.

A teacher or student creates a survey question with up to for responses. Then, the poll can be conducted in one of two different ways. The poll question can be beamed to other handhelds. The other handheld users make a selection and the original handheld collects the votes back by another beam. The results are updated as the votes come in. In addition, NinePoll can collect votes on the same handheld. This is handy if only one handheld is available. Perhaps that one handheld could be passed around the class or group. Again, the results are tallied and a percentage given. There are also colorful bar and pie graphs displaying the results. The results can even be exported to Memos for safe keeping, syncing, and printing. Be sure to check out the help menus to learn how to use NinePoll. But, like the developer says, the best way to learn to use NinePoll is to try using it.

Taking classroom polls are great for so many reasons. It helps students understand mathematical concepts like sample size, percentages, and graphs. Also, polls can help teachers check for understanding, opinions, and interests. NinePoll is a great application and I can't wait to see the different ways teachers use it!

Jon Trinder was gracious enough to create NinePoll because of a request posted on my Software Wish List. Thanks so much Jon for making this available to anyone and everyone for free!

Sketchy Contest Winners

The winners of the 2006 Sketchy Animation Contest have been announced! I am proud to say that two first place winners are students from my elementary school! I have to say, the winning animations in this contest just keep getting better and better each year.

GoKnow has posted the 2006 winning animations and you've got to check them out. These will serve as great examples for students when they learn about using Sketchy. One animation in particular I'd like to point out is from O'Neill, Nebraska (listen to an Our City Podcast from O'Neill). The animation is titled How To Use A Tungsten E2. The animation goes by quickly, but gives great information on the parts of a handheld and how to use Sketchy. Like all of the winning animations, it's very well done!

You can view the contest winners here.

Algebraf: Amazing Alyson

Brian Miller, Dennis Brubaker, and Lavonne Sparling from Southwood Elementary School in Wabash, Indiana write:

Your most recent blog entry about Algebraf made me realize we should share with you a sixth grader's skills with the program. We bought used handhelds for our fifth graders at the beginning of this school year. We also bought enough for the students in the G/T class. Alyson is a sixth grader in that G/T program, therefore she was able to have some exposure to the handhelds. Alyson's excitement carried over to home, so her mom decided to buy Alyson her very own handheld.

We asked her to share a little about her experience with Algebraf. Alyson writes...

"The first time I went through this it took me about 2 weeks. I just finished my fourth time and it took me 1 hour. The more you do it the easier it gets. After you finish 1 time you have to delete the program and beam it back on to your handheld. On Algebraf there is not just one strategy to use. There is the simple obvious strategy and the guess and check."

We're including a screen shot of her progress. Please forgive us for the fuzziness of the picture. We had to put it on Elmo then photograph the television screen.

As you can see from the screenshot, part of the answer to level 69 is showing. You can also see the friendly message you receive when you reach the end of Algebraf: Congratulations. You finished the last level. Thank you. And thank you to Brian, Dennis, Lavonne, and "Amazing Alyson" for sharing great information about Algebraf!

Algebraf & More in Warrington

Sixth graders Steve and Richard wrote about Handheld Computers for the Jaffe Journal. In their essay, the students explain some of the programs they use on their Palm Tungsten Es, including SpellIT, Dropairs, Quizzler, and Sketchy. Steve and Richard also mentions Algebraf. Algebraf is a free Palm program where you solve a system of equations represented by icons. Each different icon represents a digit 0-9 and it's quite a challenge to even complete the first level of Algebraf. Each level is more difficult than the last.

Richard, one of the writers of the Handheld Computers essay, is an Algebraf expert (among other things). Richard's teacher, Jason Jaffe, sent me a screenshot (he must be using PdaReach or Handshare and a Windows computer) showing Richard's progress in Algebraf. Richard has made it to level 51. That's certainly the highest I have ever heard of! Part of Richard's strategy is recording his attempts in Memos (see the screenshot to the left).

Algebraf's developer says that there are 69 levels. I bet Richard will complete all 69 levels before the conclusion of the school year. When that happens, I hope he shares with us what his handheld's screen tells him!

Mr. Jaffe has a remarkable website for his sixth grade class in Warrington, Pennsylvania. Besides the Journal and a section about handheld computers, the site has a monthly podcast that is truly outstanding, showcasing the work by many fine students like Steve and Richard.

April Forum Digest

learninginhand's Discussion Forums were quite busy in April. There were many great conversations about handhelds, podcasting, education, and technology. Presenting your monthly digest...

• Ian has questions about blogging with his students using handhelds. Specifically, he wants to know what is done about weekends and breaks.
• Mark announces the release of a DVD-ROM called "Ubiquitous Computing: How Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone Technology is Changing Education." You can obtain a copy here.
• Rolly shares insight into infrared printing. He even has some photos of it.
• Elaine and Mark write in response to Tony's topic about only 5% of 15 to 24 year-olds' communication is by pen and paper.
• Rolly tells us about his school's use of blogs. Mark encourages him to share a list of Blogging Terms and Conditions, which should prove useful to others.
• Tony answers Dale's question about time management in a classroom where students are working on several digital products.
• Wendy announces that her school district will be hosting their Second Handheld Conference on June 28 in Lexington, South Carolina. She'd love for you to come to the conference. Additionally, there's limited space for two workshops concentrating on differentiated instruction: one about handhelds by Mike Curtis and another about podcasting by Tony Vincent.
• Rolly posts about the appropriate age to begin keyboarding instruction.
• smcnew is curious about research that shows a direct connection between handhelds and student achievement. Elaine, Tony, Dale, and Rolly respond.
• Jessica wants to know about resources and ideas for getting started using handhelds with her students next year. Tony gives her some advice about what to do over the summer.
• Rolly shares some useful details of his schools' handheld use, including the elimination of paper planners and stand-alone calculators.
• Rolly also shares a link to new Palm freeware for outlining called HandOutline. A neat feature is that the outline can be exported to Memos so that you can sync it and print or copy and paste it into something else on the desktop.
• Corey wonders if there is any software to teach middle school students elapsed time. Dale and Tony make suggestions.
• Mark poses the question, "Is podcasting really worth the effort? What do kids (and teachers) get out of it?" Wendy, fresh from doing an Our City Podcast, has lots to say about podcasting.
• Katie reflects on her school's successful production of the Our City Podcast O'Neill Oracle. Katie also tells others about her experience with Our City Podcast in her NETA session titled "Collaborating with your Community." You can get to a podcast of her session from here.
• Remember, the learninginhand forums have their own RSS feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/forums.

Each month a forum contributor is randomly selected to receive a pair of learninginhand stylus-pens. April's winner is Corey from Independence, Missouri. Congratulations! If you want a chance to win two orange stylus-pens, be sure to post during the month of May!

2006 NETA Conference Treasure

The 2006 Nebraska Educational Association's spring conference was held April 27 and 28 in Omaha. People not from the area may be surprised at just how large this conference is. There were over 140 breakout sessions and dozens of poster gallery displays. There were several sessions about podcasting, among them was my session, "Radio for Kids, by Kids." Unfortunately, there were zero sessions for handheld computers. I would have gladly presented a handheld session had I known they would not be represented at all. Three years ago the conference had a special strand dedicated to handhelds; you could join a breakout session about handheld computing each hour for two days. It was great. But, podcasting was certainly the all of the talk of the presenters and participants at the NETA conference. In fact, there is a NETA Conference 2006 Podcast where you can listen to 14 recordings of keynote and featured sessions.

This year's conference theme was Discovering Digital Treasure. I discovered many tidbits from the sessions I attended. Allow me to share a few you may be interested in:

Apple users are probably familiar with the "teardrop" sound when they adjust a Mac's volume. This sound can be distracting, especially when playing audio for a group of students or teachers. Janet Hill from Apple shared with me that if you hold down the Shift key while pressing the Volume Up or Volume Down buttons, you won't hear the teardrop noise as you adjust the volume.

I attended Janet Hill's presentation about iWeb. It's Mac software that is part of Apple's iLife '06. It makes it really easy to drag and drop photos, audio, podcasts, and movies into a page for the web. Janet showed a video from Louisa-Muscatine Elementary about using iPods with special education students. Which, by the way, their site was made using iWeb.

Many people really want to use iPod for recording voice (especially podcasters). With older iPods that do not play video, you can purchase an iTalk. However, that same iTalk will not work with the current fifth generation of iPods that can play video because the connector has changed. Janet Hill, an Education Development Executive for Apple, says that companies like Griffin, Belkin, and Extreme Mac all have plans to release a voice recorder for the newest iPods. She says that she's been told a recorder will be available next month. However, after seeing a prototype for one in January, she's been told every month that a recorder will be released "next month." Whenever a recorder attachment is finally available, you can be sure there will be a large back order because many people want to record audio with their new iPods.

The very humorous and down-to-Earth Leslie Fisher presented several sessions both days. You can listen to them through the NETA Conference 2006 Podcast. Check out the slide shows that she used for Great Gadgets and MP3. I've got to tell you, Leslie is so funny and was my favorite presenter at this conference. Take a listen and look at her sample podcast she made using iWeb and iLife '06.

Dan Schmit presented "KidCast: Podcasting in the Classroom" Friday afternoon. His presentation is available from the NETA Conference Podcast. Dan also has an online handout and a wonderful podcast about podcasting called KidCast. Dan began the session by recording a podcast with a group of audience members. He used a unidirectional microphone that is sensitive to sounds from only one person, so as each person recorded, he or she moved in front of the mic. Besides unidirectional microphones, there's also omnidirectional. Omnidirectional microphones, like those found built into computers, pick up sound from every direction, including background noise. During his presentation, Dan mentioned a list of software programs that create RSS feeds. I'd like to add that there is a free RSS feed maker called Free Podcast Maker.