Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech

Many of us have recently discovered the wonder of Google Maps. Now a software developer from Dreamworks named Paul Rademacher, has developed a tool for searching available housing. Housing Maps allows you to search a number of metropolitan areas in the U.S. (and Vancouver) and allows you to narrow your search to price range, rental or for sale and even rooms for rent.
Anyone interested in a home overlooking Howe sound? It’s yours for $999,000CAD.

The Chronicle: 4/22/2005: Knowing When to Log Off:

“David M. Levy, a computer scientist who loves technology and gets more than 100 e-mail messages a day, makes a point of unplugging from the Internet one day each week to clear his head. Even so, with all the e-mail messages flooding in, with academic blogs bursting with continuous debate, and with the hectic pace set by an increasingly wired world, Mr. Levy says he cannot help but feel an occasional sense of information overload.”

I can relate to this guy. The challenge we face as educators is developing reflective skills, basic information literacy, and a balance between the digital and real world. I would be as guilty as most in engaging in information overload. Although a tool like RSS can help sort things out better, we still live in a society obsessed with speed and instant on. Mr. Levy discusses some techniques in the article. One of my professors has a tag on his emails about his own experiment in limiting his email check.
I’d love to hear others lots on this or management ideas you have.

Google Print Search: another way print and digital are converging….Librarians take notice.

Another nice perspective on blogs and adds to the definition and possiblity.
Somebody Get this Guy a Blog…Again

I’m quite aware of my tendency to engage in information overload when I give a workshop. I’m also cognizant of the time teachers devote to Professional Development. So in my efforts to provide the “most bang for the buck”, I give them a lot to consider.

Today I presented about the 5th blogging related workshop in the past few weeks. This is very encouraging but trying to fit a full understanding in an hour or two is challenging. For a few, I’ve been able to offer a couple of sessions. Still, between sharing the basic concept of blogging, looking at examples, setting up a blog, it’s fairly heavy. Not to mention exploring flickr and RSS. I’m impressed and amazed at how well most teachers are dealing with all the new stuff. I’m very fortunate to be able to devote much more time in understanding and experimenting with new technologies and communication tools.

I’ve been emphasizing that take out of each session something you can start off with and immerse yourselves in that. Many of the participants are truly eager and quite tech savvy. These are the ones that can’t get enough.

I’m encouraged not only by the “thank yous” but especially emails like the following..

This article from theThe New York Times provides some substance to my long standing appreciation of TV. I may have mentioned before that I like TV. One of my pet peeves is people who claim they “don’t watch a lot of TV”. This usually comes up if I reference a show like Survivor or The Apprentice or The Amazing Race. Yes, reality tv. I like some of them, these in particular. I’m not embarrassed by it either.

The article gives credence to my belief that television offers some good things. This article looks specifically at 24 which is a show I personally haven’t followed but my 18 and 15 year olds and their friends watch religously every week. The idea that television, contrary to popular belief, actually has more sophisticated programming than in the past. Take for example Starsky and Hutch. This show offered very little intelligent and threaded story that 24.

Beyond Bullets also refers to this article as an example of good storytelling that can be applied in PowerPoint presentations. I like that link. PowerPoint is storytelling and kids should use what they know about good stories to create their own.

Flickr just dropped their pro account price to $25 US or $31CAD. Previous sale price was $42US. I was planning to get go pro and this clinched the deal. This is a great investment for a classroom or school.
There is also an educational bloggers group set up. It would be nice to see some more participants in that as well.

I always knew Mac users were a bit different (no offense, different doesn’t mean bad) but this guy illustrates what a Mac user will do to take his Mac with him whereever he goes.

This video shows how to install a fully functional computer into your min-van. Complete with 15 inch drop down LCD monitor, wireless internet, keyboard and mouse. I could really use this when my wife “pops into” a quilt store.

It’s a 37MB zip file in Windows Media Format.

Another move to anywhere, anytime access.