Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Live stream with Ustream now available.

Yea! No more jailbroken iPhone with last weeks updater...

ustreamlivesmallYes, it happened: Live video streaming has come to the iPhone courtesy of Ustream.

In a move that many suspected would never happen — surely the carriers would loathe the increased data usage resulting from such apps — Apple has approved the Ustream Live Broadcaster application, bringing live streaming video straight from the iPhone to the uStream Web site and any embedded players posted around the Web.

The app works on 3G and Wi-Fi connections, supports yes/no polling of viewers, displays chatroom messages, serves up a viewer count, can transmit your location via GPS and allows you to adjust the resolution.

Monday, December 7, 2009

VSS09 Podcasts

Thanks to Miguel for posting and sharing!


Assorted Podcasts from VSS 2009






Here are a few podcasts--in no particular order and in OGG format--from the Virtual School Symposium 2009 Conference...sorry to take so long to share them. These were actually recorded by a colleague to whom I gave a digital audio recorder. Unfortunately, I didn't get much identifying information from her so I will count on you to listen carefully!
  • Listen to Podcast #1 - This podcast discusses the use of mobile phones in the classroom. Shares the use of PollEverywhere. How to get out of the site-based model, lack of alignment to course design or quality assurance, no common learning experience for students because teachers innovated and went their own way, the importance of a cheerleader at the District level....
  • Listen to Podcast #2 - Differentiating instruction in online learning by Jackie Mangieri. Resources online at http://delicious.com/docjmm
  • Listen to Podcast #3 - Elements of course design and tools you can use to customize.....

K12 Online Conference is up and running!

The K-12 Online Conference invites participation from educators around the world interested in innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used to improve learning. This FREE conference is run by volunteers and open to everyone. The 2009 conference theme is “Bridging the Divide.” This year’s conference begins with a pre-conference keynote by classroom teacher and international educator Kim Cofino the week of November 30, 2009. The following two weeks, December 7-11 and December 14-17, over fifty presentations will be posted online to our conference blog and our conference Ning for participants to view, download, and discuss. Live Events in the form of three “Fireside Chats” are listed on the events page of our conference Ning and Facebook fan page, and live events will continue in 2010 through twice-monthly “K-12 Online Echo” webcasts on EdTechTalk. Everyone is encouraged to participate in both live events during and after the conference as well as asynchronous conversations. Over 122 presentations from 2008, 2007, and 2006 are available, along with archived live events. Follow the K12 Online Conference on Twitter and Facebook!


Little Kids, Big Possibilities

Presenter: Kelly Hines
Location: Washington, North Carolina, USA
Link to presenter’s K12Online Ning Profile page

Presentation Title: Little Kids, Big Possibilities

Presentation Description: Learn about the what’s, how’s and why’s of using web 2.0 tools and social networking with elementary age students to enhance learning and student engagement.

DotSub Video Presentation Link

Blip m4v direct link (video file)
Blip mp3 direct link (audio file)

Link to presentation’s supporting documents:
http://littlekidsbigpossibilities.pbworks.com

Additional Information:
Blog: http://keepingkidsfirst.wordpress.com

Twitter: kellyhines

Thursday, December 3, 2009

You Never Let Go

(Change from my traditional blog posting… then again this is life and then some.)

Well, we have come to “the night before.” This is a time I have thought about, prayed about, prayed against and researched for well over a year.
I could not sleep tonight... All day yesterday, I have known that one of my closest friends is coming upon the biggest battle of his life this day. Today Jim will undergo a 12 hour surgery to try and rid his body of this deadly disease. And through it all, he has remained steadfast to his faith and commitment to fight the fight. At 7AM today, he will begin his next step in his journey that he has been leading. Through it all, he has remained a rock; a man on a mission guided by his trust and faith in God. Me on the other hand, I’ve been a nervous wreck. He called me last night at 11:30pm from his prep room to let me know that he was good. It was amazing to me, that through all that he will face today, he called me to see if I was up and not to worry. We said a short prayer together, laughed a bit and I shared with him that so many of you were out there sending your prayers out for him. Of course, he was thankful and gracious as always.

I have known Jim Elliott for close to 10 years. We have worked together in the past at a previous company and recently joined forces again at our current company. He is truly an inspiration to me and so many.

This Saturday is October 31st , a year ago my physician called me and told me I have appendecial adeno carcinoma and it at a stage 4.
A little more than a year ago, I received a call from Jim giving me the news of his acknowledgment of his stage 4 cancer. This was overwhelming for me and I can only imagine how he and his family were taking it all in. Obviously the worst came to mind. I vowed to call him everyday to keep his spirits in check and quite frankly, to keep my own spirits in check. Jim did a much better job of checking on me to see if I was okay. Shortly after, he began a CaringBridge blog site to keep those of us up to speed on his progress and his journey.


So tonight, not being able to sleep, I decided to go through all of Jim’s blog posts from day one, Oct. 2008 to December 2nd, 2009. As I read through each of his posts throughout the past year, a common theme became very clear to me – Courage, Faith and Love. Much of Jim’s writings seldom focused on the negative or sadness that such a disease brings. Rather, much of what he shares has to do with the strength he gains from all of the support and prayers of those around him. Also much of what he shares is the gain in closeness to God. Throughout many of the posts, he writes of how ‘thankful’ he is for the journey. It is truly amazing to me that in a time of despair and uncertainty, his outlook on life and the journey are filled with courage, faith and love.

So after reading all of his posts tonight, I pulled out a few of his comments and quotes and thought I would share a years worth of reflection from Jim Elliott.
(This is a song he referenced in his blog post Wednesday, February 4, 2009
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jimelliott/journal/15)




Although many of us have said a few prayers for his support and healing, I believe his prayers and strength have touched each on of us even more. I know I am a stronger person because of the example and courage he has exemplified in his current journey.

So today, I ask that you take some time to pray or pause for the healing and successful surgery that he is undergoing today. I hope to hear from his family later tonight with word on his big day. As he so often says… “your prayers are what keep me going… God is good.”

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

What if schools could...

I thought this was interesting and worth reposting. What if schools really had access to innovative tools that students and teachers are using outside the school day and not just on their laptops...?

Tools - Banned and Mobile


Thanks to Jane Hart coming up with a list of tools. There is a lot to like in the list but I can't help but ask, "How many of these tools are banned in public schools?" For example, here's the list of top 50 that includes tools that are banned in Texas school districts I'm familiar with...of course, not ALL school districts ban all products at the same time, although some districts sure try to! (smile)

Aside from how many of the tools are banned, what does the selection of these by voters mean? If many of these tools are banned, how many are accessible by mobile phone? How many are used after-hours?

Ah well, just playing with the list. What other questions would you ask?



Current ranking in 2009
2008
2007
TOOL
#
Votes

Name
Platform
Cost
1
11
43=
Twitter
BANNED in K-12

MOBILE PHONE
Microblogging tool

O
F
159
2
1
2
Delicious
MOBILE PHONE

Social bookmarking tool
O
F
95.5
3
18
22=
YouTube
BANNED in K-12

Video sharing site
O
F
79.5
4
3
7=
Google Reader
MOBILE PHONE

RSS / Feed reader
O
F
79
5
7
14
Google Docs
BANNED in K-12

MOBILE PHONE

Office suite
O
F
78.5
6
5
6
Wordpress
Blogging tool
O
F
69
7
20
31=
Slideshare
BANNED in K-12

MOBILE PHONE

Hosting presentations
O
F
64

8

6
3=
Google Search
BANNED in K-12

MOBILE PHONE

Web search tool
O
F
56

9=

12
11
Audacity
Sound editor and recorder
W M
F
54

2
1
Firefox
Web browser and extensions
W M
F
54
11=
16
31=
Ning
BANNED in K-12

Social networking platforms
O
F/C
49

4
3=
Skype
BANNED in K-12

MOBILE PHONE

Instant messaging/VoIP
W M
F/C
49
13
8
5
PowerPoint
Presentation software
W M
C
47

14=

10
9
Blogger
BANNED in K-12

MOBILE PHONE

Blogging tool
O
F
45




9
12=
Moodle
Course mgt system
S
F
45
16
17
17=
iGoogle
Personalised start page
O
F
37.5
17
13
26=
Wikipedia
Collaborative encyclopedia
O
F
36
18
15
16
flickr
BANNED in K-12

MOBILE PHONE

Photo storage/sharing site
O
F
35
19
23
101=
VoiceThread
Collaborative slideshows
O
F
33
20
26=
-
Jing
Screen captures/ casting tool
W M
F/C
30.5

21

14
7=
Gmail
BANNED in K-12

MOBILE PHONE

Web-based email
O
F
30
22=
27
17=
Adobe Captivate
Demo and scenario tool
W
C
29

35=
72=
diigo
Social annotation site
O
F/C
29

24

25
22=
Articulate
Presenter/Engage/ Quizmaker
W
C
27
25
21
26=
SnagIt
Screen capture tool
W
C
26.5
26
26=
50=
Camtasia Studio
Screencasting tool

W
C
25.5
27
-
-
Evernote
Note taking tool
O
F
25
28
-
-
Prezi
Presentation software

O
F
24
29
19
15
Wikispaces
Wiki tool
O
F/C
23
30
-
-
Wordle
Word cloud generator

O
F
22
31=
-
-
animoto
Create videos from your images

O
F
21




24
17=
Facebook
BANNED in K-12

MOBILE PHONE

Social networking site
O
F
21

50=
43=
iPhone/iPod/ Touch and apps
-
-
21
34
35=
43=
PBworks (prev PBwiki)
Wiki tool
O
F/C
19
35
59=
50=
Adobe Photoshop
Photo/Image editing tools
W
C
17
36=


Blogs
-
-
16

22
10
Word
Word processing software
W M
C
16
38=
38=
43=
Flash
Animation authoring tool
W M
C
15

66=
101=
Google Apps
BANNED in K-12

Google application suite

O
F/C
15

30=
31=
LinkedIn
Professional social network

O
F
15

41=

66=
72=
Adobe Connect
Web meeting/ conferencing
O
C
14.5




28
26=
iTunes/iTunes U
Music/podcast player and site
W M
F
14.5

43=

-
-
Dimdim
Web conferencing
O
F/C
14

50=
50=
Elluminate
Web conferencing

O
F/C
14

40=
40=
Google Earth
Satellite and aerial imagery
W M
F
14

-
-
Tweetdeck
BANNED in K-12

MOBILE PHONE

Desktop social software client
W M
F
14



Wikis and wiki tools
-
-
14
48
65=
72=
Keynote
Presentation software

M
C
12

49

59=
72=
Edublogs
Educational blogging tool

O
F
11.5

50=

29
36=
Google Calendar
Web-based calendar
O
F
10

Friday, October 30, 2009

Trick or Tweet...

So what will you dress up as this Halloween?


Create your joke with The Dark Knight iPhone App
The Dark Knight iPhone app takes your picture and allows you to add your own Joker elements to it.

That got me thinking about the thought of a Web 2.0 Halloween. Not just with technology website, activities or tools for use with the kids, but simply dressing up. So here are a few that I found online as possible costumes for this year's Web 2.0 Halloween.




Have a great Web 2.0 Halloween!


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Project Pic In Review...

On September 25th I began my Project Pic 365 with the notion of taking one picture a day for 365 days and posting it to my blog.

This proved to be more difficult that it seemed... There were days I'd forget; days that were so last minute and days that my iPhone battery died before I could get my project pic in for the day. My goal was to take all of the images and compile them into a quick preview to see what it had to say...?


I think what this says is that I like shoes, family, blue skies, technology, my faith. Oh, and did I say my critters? Curious to know what you think?

This was my very first pic.

Project Pic365 - day1

Posted by ShoZu

Social Media site falling...

I've never actually joined MySpace, but I do recall when it was big for music fans and mostly the younger generation. Recent posts, including a tweet I shared yesterday point to the fact that folks migrate to certain social networks. While the article points to the fact that age, class and other demographics point folks to MySpace or Facebook, the reality is that MySpace is falling off a cliff. I don't believe it has anything to do with class or age as much as Facebook is just more direct and relevant. Folks gravitate to where their friends are. Initially, Facebook was for the college crowd, then us "older" folks jumped on board and now the MySpace gen is quickly joining on board. The other day, my 10 year old nephew joined... Is it quickly becoming a fad only to become the next Walmart we all despise? As will all fads, will this to pass and a far superior online community come about? Let's see what the wave of Google brings about...

MySpace’s U.S. Traffic Falls Off a Cliff (Mashable)

Here are some major takeaways from the data:

- MySpace’s downfall is accelerating. It lost a little over a million U.S. visitors between June and July, but more than 4 million between July and August and over 5 million between last month and this month. I don’t think I have to tell you what will happen if this trend continues.

- MySpace is quickly shedding value. In fact, it’s losing hundreds of millions for its parent company, News Corp.

- Its change in leadership has not yet produced results. In fact, MySpace now has less visitors than it did in April, when it kicked out Chris DeWolfe and hired former Facebook (Facebook) executive Owen Van Natta to save MySpace.

Social Media Change Agent

Friday, October 2, 2009

21st Century Schools

Post from Cliff's Notes

Dr. Stephen Heppell’s video about 21st century schools provokes you to consider what lies ahead. Wes Fryer states that this video “makes a strong case for blended learning where the learning connection between home and school is seamless.”

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Digital Text

I could not have said this any better... Here is a repost:
I totally agree with David Warlick. If we look at the mobile technology available today, there is absolutely no reason students cannot have all their books and content on a laptop, Kindle-like device or iPhone/Touch... Textbook publishers have a great opportunity to truly impact education...


September 2, 2009

The Answer for Textbook Publishers

Filed under: education, textbooks, warlick
Tags: , , , , — David Warlick @ 9:35 am with (6) Comments

Listen to this article. Powered by Odiogo.com

Flickr Photo by Judy Baxter

We all know how much our students love technology. They spend so much time on their mobile phones reading and typing, conversing, Googling, playing, working, and living — it’s a given that our students live in their pockets.

So, if we want to continue to be relevant to our students lives and their future, and the textbook industry wants to be a part of this reinvention of teaching and learning,

Then they must make their textbooks smaller.

It is obvious that for our children, the optimum size for instructional delivery is about 2 x 3 inches, the size of my iPhone display. Think of the trees that could be saved. Think of the reduced load on the vertebra of our little darlings. You can even fit the little books with Velcro so that they could be attached to our students phones. They could hold their tech-of-choice while engaging in the night’s reading.

Not to fear. For those of us older than 39, the teachers edition would have to remain the standard 9×12 inches and 12.23 pounds — and textbook companies could continue charge their just fees.

If we are going to truly address the needs of today’s children, we must be able to do it where they are — from their pockets.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Friday, August 14, 2009

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Monday, August 10, 2009

3 Reasons Facebook Bought FriendFeed


According to The Wall Street Journal, Facebook paid nearly $50 million to acquire FriendFeed: $15 million in cash and $32.5 million in Facebook stock.

1. The FriendFeed Team
2. Product Direction and Alignment
3. A Better Buy than Twitter?

Read more.