A Quick Look into T2 PAL and EIT

On December 6th, 2012 I was able to present at the T2 PAL Open House. T2 PAL (Teachers and Technology -- Promoting Accessible Learning)  is a new group in the Special Education Department led by Dr. Chris Curran and Dr. Susan Brennan. This group was developed because of a grant that was received to purchase and explore new options of Assistive Technology in the classroom. 

 I have been able to be part of this group through an independent study that I was taking through Dr. Curran.  I was able to present on the Don Johnston Series, the program that I focused on was Co: Writer. Co:Writer is an interactive word prediction software that students can use in the classroom.  I had my own station and was able to present to those who asked about the software.

To get prepared for the presentation I spent multiple hours learning how to use the software and developed a small presentation for the open house that was held on December 6th, 2012. Prior to this event I created a video to help promote the T2 PAL group and the big open house they held. I was able to film and photograph classes using the tools.  As of now T2 PAL has a Facebook page!

Below I have provided a podcast providing my overall thoughts of the open house, my role in the process, and many other thoughts of mine! To listen to the podcast click on the video below!  Enjoy!

Second Life Tour for Others!

With Secondlife you can travel the world! I'm serious, you can go just about anywhere, "virtually" speaking of course.  Traveling through Secondlife the last few weeks has been a process that has allowed me to learn all kinds of cool things that can be done in SL. One of the fun things that I was able to do was create a tour of places I wanted people to see. my tour is all about american history in all forms.  People can get cultured on national landmark, important historical places, and even certain parts of our culture.  Below is the tour i created for SL. Have fun and check it out!


American History Travel Tour

Mount Rushmore
Come experience Mount Rushmore like you never have before! Fly right up to George Washington and look him right in the eye! Try to find the turkey down below the mountain and feed it! Mont Rushmore represent four of our nations presidents. Students will get to learn about some of our nations presidents and nations history.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Le%20Dome/231/181/60


NASA Explorer Island
Have you ever wanted to be an astronaut. Well now you can learn all about them at this NASA Explorer Island. Try to find a way to get a free T-shirt at the Mars Mountain standing during the Landing Event. NASA has been a big part of out nations history. Especially during the space race!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Explorer%20Island/180/197/22


World War II Memorial
Take time to honor those who had died for our freedom. Walk around the WWII memorial and take in all the other views. Try to find the seal that is printed on the floor in the Atlantic and Pacific rooms.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/WW2%20PACIFIC/127/21/2518


The West Wing
Come visit the west wing and get a small glimpse of what it looks to be in the oval office, cabinet room, and the situation room. These are the rooms where all of our nations biggest decisions are made! All of these room are important parts of the White House.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Victorian%20Gardens/101/10/1002


St. Louis Arch
Come to St. Louis, Missouri and check out the Arch! It is one of the most unique structures in all of America. It is also one of the most visited site seeing locations in all of Missouri. The Arch is 630 feet tall!  Fly all the way to the top of the Arch and look out over the water!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/St%20Louis%20Island/183/128/31



Statue of Liberty 
Come see Lady Liberty at her finest. The Statue of Liberty is one of America's most treasured landmarks. It represent freedom and liberty. Some of the many great things about living in America.  Fly up and take a closer look at her torch!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Carnforth/25/173/5


9/11 Memorial 
 Come pay your respects and remember the day that shook our nation. Click on the picture of the twin towers that contains the names of all the victims of 9/11.  Students can learn of the people who were murdered on this day and the City of New York.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lawst%20Paradise/24/12/911


The Alamo
Travel to San Antonio, Texas and visit the Alamo. Relive the memories of Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie with this historical fort. Go up to the cannon and fire a shot off! students will get to learn about its history and its amazing architecture.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Antiquity%20Texas/190/110/21



Grand Canyon
Come to the Grand Canyon and check out this piece of history. Let the views of this place take your breath away! Go ahead and take your own personal helicopter ride where you actually fly the helicopter or even drive the hover craft or jeep around the canyon!
 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Grand%20Canyon/103/179/111


Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Who says that music isn't part of our history? Music has become of the of the biggest industries in out country. Go ahead and check out the greatest music groups and singers of all time! Students will get to see how Rock and Roll played an important roll in our country.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/San%20Andres%20Isle/232/236/23

Take a tour of the lands of our Secondlife ancestors

I was able to check out some of the worlds of Secondlife through a tour at Z's place. I was able to check out a lot of things. the place that interested me the most was the St. louis Arch. I have been to the Arch and it was cool to compare the real thing to a Secondlife version. I think that second life could really offer some cool opportunities in a classroom if you were studying a certain topic and wanted to explore it in a virtual world. You would have to make sure that the area would be age appropriate and that you wouldn't meet any odd people along the way!  I was able to fly all the way to the top! I even stood on the tip top!

This is a picture of me flying up to the top of the Arch.

I made it to the TOP! Boom! One giant step for man, one easy step for Secondlife kind! :)

Overall it was a cool experience and I enjoyed the fun tour!

Welcome to the island tour/ Getting Fashionable

After completing the second video I was able to get a better grasp as to what Second Life is all about. I think that it is something that would be of interest to many people because of the wide range of opportunities it presents. I think that it truly offers opportunities for every person regardless of age, sex, or orientation.  Doing the virtual tour was very interesting. I thought it was really neat that you could go up to all the different things and learn about all the different ways of interacting and getting around on the islands. Overall this was a enjoyable experience.

I was also able to make my avatar look pretty classy. I was able to change the clothes and change his appearance. I think that this was a fun way to get personal with your own avatar. This was a fun way to give yourself the body you always dream about too!

This is my avatar! jhubb68

Top Image from:http://nvate.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Secondlife1.png

Second Life intro

So, I am completing the first part of the SL assignment. I feel that second life provides some really neat possibilities for people who are willing to sit down and explore the virtual world. You get to create your won avatar and explore different virtual islands. Throughout the islands you can learn different things and meet different people. This can also be used as a virtual meeting place for people who actual want to meet. This would definitely put a creative swing on the whole meeting!

  As for me I don't really know how much I would use it just because I have a hard time sitting down in front of the computer for along period of time. I tend to find myself on the go most of the time. I also think that I would appreciate more face to face meetings or just a basic skype session. To me it seems more personal to do it that way. But i understand the possible benefits of using SL.

Overall I do see how people can enjoy second life. IT can open people to a whole new community of people. If someone needs more interactions with people or wants to meet new people this is definitely the thing for you! For more information go to secondlife.com.

 Image from :http://c4lpt.co.uk/Top100Tools/secondlife.jpg

Hunt em up!

I played Cabelas Dangerous Hunts 2009. This was a game of my roommate’s and I had never played it before. This game was very interesting. You had to go on missions and hunt certain game. 

One thing that really helped was that I was able to use the map and compass to make my way around the hunting territory.  I learned that I had to use certain natural skills to track and find the animals. I had to search for footprints, strands of animal hair, and blood trials. These clues all helped me in reaching the goal of killing certain animals.  

A part of the game that I didn’t care for was the part of the game when it wouldn’t give me objectives after I would be killed. I would get frustrated and not be as motivated to play.

I would say that I was in flow for part of the game. When I first started playing I was in flow but as the game progressed the gameplay got harder. So I started to get frustrated and was no longer in the flow. My roommates came home and I became distracted as well.  I feel that as a student it is important that you can focus and be able to concentrate on what you are doing. 

If students are able to get into the flow with their school work and when in the classroom the possibilities would be endless. Students would be able to achieve so much! I feel that it is important for teachers to create environment that are conducive to the students learning and provide them the tools that they need to be successful. 

Above image from :http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/Dangeroushunts2009.jpg

Food: It's what connects us all together

Food: It's what connects us all together

Image from: http://static.toondoo.com/public/w/h/a/whatedsaid//
toons/cool-cartoon-2384533.png

Discuss your class (imaginary or otherwise):


We are a fourth grade class in rural Iowa. Our class consists of 11 girls and 10 boys.  We have 2 special needs students who are included during some periods of the day. Our community is a smaller farming community. Our students are not exposed to any form of culture diversity and are all middle class or higher. 


How/why this project fits into your subject area:


This fits into our subject area because the students will learn about healthy lifestyles, citizenship, cultural similarities and differences, traditions, and celebrations of other cultures and the food they eat. This unit expands in many directions, the teacher and students get to choose which opportunities to investigate.


We are both elementary education majors who would like to teach in the upper elementary settings.

What you hope to achieve:

We want to develop awareness for our students and the students of other countries who have different agricultural practices, eating habits, cultural traditions, types of foods, and other ways of cooking to see that food is something that connects all of us together.  



What barriers do you see as possibly occurring:

Some possible barries to making this project clean and fluent would be internet and technology problems, along with any language barriers that could exist.





How this might change your students' perception of the world.

 Students will learn that they are quite similar to the students of other countries but yet are unique in many ways. The students will also gain a cultural awareness and sensitivity that will open their eyes to how other students live in other countries. Students will be able to share what they wear for clothes, what they do for fun, and other activities that they find enjoyable along with anything else that is interesting about their daily lives. Students will also learn about the geographic location of their partner school and the language that is spoken along with other cultural traditions of that country. 


Post a link to your project posting in the appropriate dropbox.

http://www.globalschoolnet.org/gsnpr/ViewProject.cfm?sr=1&pID=3782

Dual post by Nora Warnemunde and John Hubbard

To add or not to add.... That is the question

Image from: http://www.simplyzesty.com/wp-content
/uploads//2012/08/Facebook-logo.jpeg

I recently read a post on Dangerously Irrelevant and came across a post that talked about Facebook and students. So right away I was intrigued. Of all the posts on the blog, this one caught my attention the most.  It is about "friending" your students who add you.  The post mentions that they go through multiple steps and criteria that classifies when they befriend a student and when they defriend a student. This teacher believes in adding the student under certain conditions. I guess my opinion in this is that there needs to be a fine line between student and teacher. I think that a teacher can add a student after they are out of their class and no longer their professional teacher. I have been using this method with coaching my jr. high baseball teams. I have gotten multiple friend request from my players and I feel that I need to stay professional so I ignore them until they are done playing for me. This year I will inform my players of this rule so they are aware of it. I feel that this keeps a level of professionalism between player and coach. This can correlate to the classroom as well.

Let's get snappy

As a long snapper for the football team and an avid football fan, I have enjoyed following the blog longsnap.com. This blog gives reviews of long snapping throughout the year. You can learn all about new roster moves or interesting things that are happening in the world of long snapping.

When I was told that I could talk about the blogs I have been following for a class, I was pretty excited! I know that I am probably the first person in the history of this class to be talking about long snapping. So hopefully you will learn a thing or two!

 This is a great site for me to stay educated about my line of work that I do on the football team and about the special position in general. I am assuming that some of you who read this post have no idea what long snapping truly is. And during this blog post I will give you a little insight into what it is and my thoughts.  So if you think that long snapping is a boring subject or just not flashy enough for you I apologize and suggest that you google something like "quarterback blogs" on google :) Below is a clip of Nick Sundberg who gives some technique about how to snap a football. He is the former snaper for the University of California football team and current long snapper for the Washington Redskins in the NFL.

Long snapping over the years has come a long ways. It used to be that the normal "center" would also be the longsnapper and would snap the ball to the punter on 4th down. But now, teams make a couple roster spots for longsnappers.  Over the years games have been won and lost solely because of a snap.  It is a position that requires a lot of time and effort. To be a quality long snapper you have to be very picky about what you do. Even over the years long snapping has evolved more than many realize. People who have mastered the skill have enjoyed using their free time create long snapping trick shot videos and posting them on Youtube.

                                 

So as you can see, long snapping has become "kinda cool." Well, at least to me these video are kinda neat!  This video is living proof that if you give somebody a camera and a football, just about anything is possible! Maybe a new school project?? I'm not sure, I will have to look into that one.  As I come to a close, I challenge any of you who read this to it's completion to go out and try to snap a football and have some fun!

Another great long snapping site that offers instruction and tips for all levels of snappers:

http://www.longsnapper.com/index2.shtml

Top image from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGQ7r8Yj6rRl8g85knCnzzhFKPAcwbi-o7PILRnBrR7sfaExIoXDhB7w4zOj4811uxie5_2lVh8HIBhJkBFH5zzsgmAPNl0pKNDWE-flfeLSf2MoXpw_1pjgkakOXcUAqQT6I6UDGfCHb/s1600/long+snapper.jpg

1:1 computing and it's benefits

I recently read a post on Dangerously Irrelevant and they were talking about 1:1 computing and they mentioned that there are school districts in Iowa that are part of this new wave. This got me thinking and I wanted to know more about which schools are like this in Iowa. So I went straight to google and decided to check it out for myself.

Image from : http://scottmcleod.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c855d53ef0133ed8c0801970b-pidd 

The article  written by the Iowa 1:1 Institue talks about how the hardest part of 1:1 computing may not be getting the technology into the classroom but actually utilizing it once you get it.  While having this technology you truly have the opportunity to change the whole dynamics of a classroom. One question brought up in this article asks if the new technology creates new opportunities or just extends the same old teaching tactics.  The possibility of having 1:1 computing could truly change the world but shouldn't be seen as the cure for all of the problems in the classroom because this new wave could become the biggest problem if it is not properly used and managed. In the video below Dr. Scott Mcleod talks about his thoughts on 1:1 and the Iowa 1:1 Conference.

Though I had a hard time finding a lot of specific schools who have gone 1:1, I do know that the Waverly Shell Rock Middle School is one of them. This school has an iPad for each student in the school.  Principal Roger Wilcox gives a great explanation of how the iPads are used in the school and the guidelines for the parents in the video below.  I happen to know Roger and he is a great principal ad runs a great school in Waverly!

Overall I feel that 1:1 would be a great opportunity for any school who has the resources and the leadership to take it on. I think that I wold enjoy being in a school with this possibility because I could be exposed to a whole new way of teaching. I have never been in a classroom who is 1:1 but I would like to see how it is actually used someday!

Strike three......?

Image from: http://elyriact.smugmug.com/Sports/Tribe-Aug-
8/TwinsIndiansBaseballctnewschro/963616732_yTvmA-L.jpg

STRIKE! The first word that comes to my mind when I think of strike is an umpire with their "over the top" punch out calls on strike three in a baseball game. But unfortunately the issues im talking about aren't on the ball diamond. They are on a little more important playing field you could say...... the classroom!!

Recently I have been scouring the "blogesphere." I have been through a few different blogs that we were supposed to be reading about and surprisingly I have enjoyed reading about the Chicago teacher's strike. (Im not sure if that's a good thing or not enjoying reading about teachers striking for more pay and better contracts and a whole bunch of other stuff, but it's all for  my own good, right?)  Cool Cat Teacher had some great links and insight about this topic and really made me realize how there are tough situations throughout schools across America. Below is a Youtube video where ABC talks about the strike and gives some background on the situation.

But as I keep thinking about the issue and how it really is a two sided issue, it makes me wonder if that would ever happen here and how I would feel about it. If I was  parent or a teacher in a district like this I dont know what I would do? Below is a parent who has a student in the school system and school is the one place that there student had left. A lot of the student come from high poverty homes and dont have a lot of extra things.

The gentleman in this article truly does say it best. Why do we pay professional athletes so much money when we cant even pay our teachers enough to get by? That really made me think. It truly is a joke that professional athletes make million on top of millions and a teacher makes enough to keep in a tin can compared to those making millions.  Just seems a little backwards, someone had to teach the millionaires too right?

So do you think that this will ever happen in your school? Let's hope not. It is a mess for everyone envolved. So think on that one for a while!

Fresh Start!

It's that time of the year again! Hard to believe it really. It's football season and the weather is changing. Nothing like walking outside and you can feel the cool breeze and the smell of leaves. Nothing better than that!  Are you ready for some football? I know that I am!

So, I am supposed to create some innovating and world changing blog posts this semester.  Consider the last sentence as your warning as to what will be coming your way. The topics may be very different from week to week. I could be talking about the newest stuff in technology for the classroom and I could be discussing the latest news from the world of football and long snapping. So be sure to tune in from time to time. That's all for now!

Go Panthers!

Image from:http://www.tailgatewiki.com/assets/uploads/NCAA%20Football/Northern%20Iowa/100001.jpg

Picmonkey!

In class we talked about how there are more and more homeless veterans in the USA. This is so sad.  I wanted to design a program where veterans can receive benefits and discounted rates on MLB tickets.  There are also free days where you can take a veteran to the ballpark.  Veterans can benefit from this because it is a recreational service and provides a way for our servicemen and women to enjoy America's favorite national pastime.At these events veterans could receive a free hotdog, chips, and a drink from the concession stand as an act of gratitude. I think that having a service like this to give back to veterans is a great way to say thank you!

For more information click on the link below:

http://www.veteransunited.com/deals/major-league-baseball-military-discounts/

SkETcH Up!

In CCA we went into working with Google Sketchup. Within this program you can do just about anything.  This is my playground that I made.  It is a challenging program but if you are able to get the hang of it uyou can create some really stuff with it. The purpose of us using in our class was to develop a playground that would be sufficient for students of all ability levels.

Glogs! Glogs! Glogs! Glogs!

Come Check out my Glog! In class we are making motivating posters using Glogster. The posters will say nice things to people.  You never know when somebody needs some encouragement or some nice words that could totally turn their day around! So go ahead and make a difference! 

http://www.glogster.com/jhubb54/uni-finals-/g-6ljn53jk7m9e179kqjvsba0


Image from:
http://sites.fcps.org/trt/sites/default/files/logoGlogster1-300x84.jpg

Lincoln Elementary Technology

After going to Lincoln Elementary I was shocked by how much technology they are using in their classrooms and how they are able to utilize PBL. I think that being able to have students teaching students using technology is a great idea. In one of the classrooms I was in the students were explaining their math reasoning to why they got the answer they did. I think that this is really great. Having students walk other students step by step to what they are thinking is important. I also thought that the library has a lot of great resources and the head media specialist was great. She has a passion for what she does. It is really great to see how one person can really make a difference in a school. She is one of those people!! I also liked to see the 5th grade classroom and how they were using PBL to build structures using popsicle sticks. I think that the reasoning behind everything that is going on in this school is great and the students are benefitting from it greatly. Overall I enjoyed the experience and left very impressed.



Image from: http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/wcfcourier.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/b3/eb353782-fd78-11df-8e76-001cc4c002e0/4cf694032ad39.image.jpg

Global Leaning Experience

After having our Skype session with Dr. Z and discussing global learning in class, I was really surprised by how learning is occurring in other parts of the world. I really enjoyed listening to how the topics we discuss and learn about in class are actually being talked about in other places. I think that the level learning in other parts of the country can vary, there are also many factors that can affect how schools are able to utilize technology within their classroom. One of the main ideas that we talked about in class was the access to technology. Some areas cannot afford to buy the latest technology and some schools have teachers that only have a high school diploma. So to say the least, the level of education can be different throughout the world. But to reflect on the experience with Dr. Z, it really got me thinking about other educational systems around the world.


Image from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBsU3Q0W-XZbku75V5c-Fr3boosCugTxpIRy-5HBYV2GIsCugmE8aShH9zKEi0OtWbvWgb4vqBLDvyBWvPVeM_cNxMFKH55WTU1VzvLHy1IlQ53dpkDvgjxc40BkshIfAo7-x0J7PsBxt/s400/global_learning.jpg

Problem Based Learning

After working with problem based learning I really find it beneficial. I think that being able to use PBL brings a whole level of personalization that students can get out of project compared to normal learning. Within PBL, students are able to bring in their own passions to the project and help them get more out of the experience. I think that as a teacher, you are able to plan a topic that is more student centered. Yes, this may be more work for the teacher up front when it comes to planning and organizing, but the students really benefit from the passion that teachers put into it. Overall, I feel that PBL benefits all parties involved.

Image from: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/pbl/images/logo.jpg

NU TECH Experience

After going to NU and seeing everything that they are doing, I was very interested in utilizing project based learning in my future classroom. I think that one of the best things that they have going at NU with project baed learning is Mrs. Hanna. I feel like she brings the energy and passion that she needs to get her students engaged. I also like how all of the students in science class had laptops and were able to interactively fill out their own data on charts on the computer. I feel that allowing students to have computers gives them the freedom to find new resources while participating in class. But overall I was very pleased with the visit and hope to be able to utilize this in my own room someday.


Image from:
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/wcfcourier.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/f4/2f4ed2ee-42d9-11df-91ee-001cc4c03286/2f4ed2ee-42d9-11df-91ee-001cc4c03286.image.jpg

Global Learning on education

When thinking about global learning and how it has affected education I feel that it has made a positive impact. Students are able to connect and learn about people from across the world. Not only does it help students but it can also help teachers. Teachers are able to share ideas and create learning opportunities for their students. I think that education will slowly evolve into more global learning and classrooms will begin to have "sister" classroom where they can have frequent communication.

Using collaborative tools

Being able to use collaborative tools has been quite the experience. I have learned how important it is to be specific and precise with what you are try to say. I think that it definitely makes things easier and it's a totally different way for people to work together. Overall I will continue to use collaborative research in the future.

Intro Preso Experience

After thinking about how we did our Intro presentations, I really liked it! It was way different than any intro I have done for any other class. I was hoping that Dr. Z would have done a digita presentation for us as well! But thats okay, he is a busy man.

I think that this is something that I could do for my own class someday. Use a video to introduce myself to my class would be fun!

So what am I trying to get out of this anyway?

With the typical first of the semester question, "What are your expectations for this class" was asked my first thought was uhhhhh..... But now taking a couple minutes to think about it I think I have come up with a few ideas. First off I want to learn about all of the ways of using technology in the classroom (pretty vanilla I know). Secondly, Im curious about Promethean Boards and all they have to offer. I have brief experience with them having done my Level III field experience but I would like to know more about them. I expect that I will also learn about many other great websites that Dr.Z and my peers know about that would benefit me in many ways. Whether it is for personal use or for classroom purposes. I also hope to build a larger network of technological aware people. As for know that is it, maybe you can help me come up with more ideas?!

Go Panthers!






Image from: http://richardlfloyd.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/confused-face.jpg